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The effect of multidisciplinary collaborations on research diversification

Author

Listed:
  • Giovanni Abramo

    (National Research Council of Italy
    Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche)

  • Ciriaco Andrea D’Angelo

    (National Research Council of Italy
    Università degli Studi di Roma “Tor Vergata”)

  • Flavia Costa

    (Research Value s.r.l.)

Abstract

This work verifies whether research diversification by a scientist is in some measure related to their collaboration with multidisciplinary teams. The analysis considers the publications achieved by 5300 Italian academics in the sciences over the period 2004–2008. The findings show that a scientist’s outputs resulting from research diversification are more often than not the result of collaborations with multidisciplinary teams. The effect becomes more pronounced with larger and particularly with more diversified teams. This phenomenon is observed both at the overall level and for the disciplinary macro-areas.

Suggested Citation

  • Giovanni Abramo & Ciriaco Andrea D’Angelo & Flavia Costa, 2018. "The effect of multidisciplinary collaborations on research diversification," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 116(1), pages 423-433, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:116:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1007_s11192-018-2746-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s11192-018-2746-2
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Samuel-Soma M. Ajibade & Festus Victor Bekun & Festus Fatai Adedoyin & Bright Akwasi Gyamfi & Anthonia Oluwatosin Adediran, 2023. "Machine Learning Applications in Renewable Energy (MLARE) Research: A Publication Trend and Bibliometric Analysis Study (2012–2021)," Clean Technol., MDPI, vol. 5(2), pages 1-21, April.
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    5. Gregorio González-Alcaide, 2021. "Bibliometric studies outside the information science and library science field: uncontainable or uncontrollable?," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 126(8), pages 6837-6870, August.
    6. Geraldo J. Pessoa Junior & Thiago M. R. Dias & Thiago H. P. Silva & Alberto H. F. Laender, 2020. "On interdisciplinary collaborations in scientific coauthorship networks: the case of the Brazilian community," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 124(3), pages 2341-2360, September.
    7. Ugo Moschini & Elena Fenialdi & Cinzia Daraio & Giancarlo Ruocco & Elisa Molinari, 2020. "A comparison of three multidisciplinarity indices based on the diversity of Scopus subject areas of authors’ documents, their bibliography and their citing papers," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 125(2), pages 1145-1158, November.
    8. Elmira Janavi & Mohammad Javad Mansourzadeh & Mojgan Samandar Ali Eshtehardi, 2020. "A methodology for developing scientific diversification strategy of countries," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 125(3), pages 2229-2264, December.
    9. Yinqi Ma & Qi Xiu & Lingzhi Shao & Hao Yao, 2022. "Promoting the Sustainable Improvement of Educational Empirical Research Quality: What Kinds of Collaborative Production Relationships Make Sense?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-23, March.

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