IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/scient/v127y2022i5d10.1007_s11192-022-04349-y.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

International research collaboration in Africa: a bibliometric and thematic analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Elizabeth S. Vieira

    (Universidade Do Porto
    Universidade Do Porto)

Abstract

It is widely recognised that science in Africa will benefit from international research collaboration (IRC), and therefore studies have been done on IRC in Africa (hereafter: Africa-related IRC research). However, there is no information on the development of Africa-related IRC research, the geographical location of the scientists interested in the topic, the visibility of the literature and the themes researched. This information makes it possible to understand relevant aspects in the context of IRC in Africa, which are useful for identifying IRC strengths, weaknesses and opportunities. It also allows paving the way for future research on this topic. Using discipline–specific terms, bibliometric, and thematic analysis, I collected the literature on Africa-related IRC research indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection (WoS). The results showed that the number of publications on the topic has increased, few African countries have researched the topic, a third of the publications were written exclusively by African scientists, and the topic has high visibility. The panoply of publications revealed that patterns, driving factors, effects, networks, asymmetries, and policies concerning IRC were the main themes researched.

Suggested Citation

  • Elizabeth S. Vieira, 2022. "International research collaboration in Africa: a bibliometric and thematic analysis," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 127(5), pages 2747-2772, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:127:y:2022:i:5:d:10.1007_s11192-022-04349-y
    DOI: 10.1007/s11192-022-04349-y
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11192-022-04349-y
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11192-022-04349-y?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Michael Storper & Anthony J. Venables, 2004. "Buzz: face-to-face contact and the urban economy," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 4(4), pages 351-370, August.
    2. Hannes Toivanen & Branco Ponomariov, 2011. "African regional innovation systems: bibliometric analysis of research collaboration patterns 2005–2009," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 88(2), pages 471-493, August.
    3. Caroline S. Wagner & Travis A. Whetsell & Loet Leydesdorff, 2017. "Growth of international collaboration in science: revisiting six specialties," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 110(3), pages 1633-1652, March.
    4. Tiina Kontinen & Ajali M. Nguyahambi, 2020. "Disrupting habits of North–South research collaboration: Learning in co-authoring," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 32(3), pages 529-543, July.
    5. Waverly W. Ding & Sharon G. Levin & Paula E. Stephan & Anne E. Winkler, 2010. "The Impact of Information Technology on Academic Scientists' Productivity and Collaboration Patterns," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 56(9), pages 1439-1461, September.
    6. Jane G. Payumo & Jamie Monson & Amy Jamison & Bradley W. Fenwick, 2019. "Metrics-based profiling of university research engagement with Africa: research management, gender, and internationalization perspective," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 121(2), pages 675-698, November.
    7. Nelius Boshoff, 2009. "Neo-colonialism and research collaboration in Central Africa," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 81(2), pages 413-434, November.
    8. Radhamany Sooryamoorthy, 2017. "Do types of collaboration change citation? A scientometric analysis of social science publications in South Africa," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 111(1), pages 379-400, April.
    9. Radhamany Sooryamoorthy, 2009. "Collaboration and publication: How collaborative are scientists in South Africa?," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 80(2), pages 419-439, August.
    10. Nelius Boshoff, 2010. "South–South research collaboration of countries in the Southern African Development Community (SADC)," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 84(2), pages 481-503, August.
    11. Swapan Kumar Patra & Mammo Muchie, 2018. "Research and innovation in South African universities: from the triple helix’s perspective," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 116(1), pages 51-76, July.
    12. Farid Dahdouh-Guebas & J. Ahimbisibwe & Rita Van Moll & Nico Koedam, 2003. "Neo-colonial science by the most industrialised upon the least developed countries in peer-reviewed publishing," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 56(3), pages 329-343, March.
    13. Meric S. Gertler, 2003. "Tacit knowledge and the economic geography of context, or The undefinable tacitness of being (there)," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 3(1), pages 75-99, January.
    14. Nchangwi Syntia Munung & Bongani M Mayosi & Jantina de Vries, 2017. "Equity in international health research collaborations in Africa: Perceptions and expectations of African researchers," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(10), pages 1-17, October.
    15. Thomas Scherngell & Yuanjia Hu, 2011. "Collaborative Knowledge Production in China: Regional Evidence from a Gravity Model Approach," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(6), pages 755-772.
    16. Toluwase Asubiaro, 2019. "How collaboration type, publication place, funding and author’s role affect citations received by publications from Africa: A bibliometric study of LIS research from 1996 to 2015," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 120(3), pages 1261-1287, September.
    17. Torben Schubert & Radhamany Sooryamoorthy, 2010. "Can the centre–periphery model explain patterns of international scientific collaboration among threshold and industrialised countries? The case of South Africa and Germany," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 83(1), pages 181-203, April.
    18. Csaba Kozma & Clara Calero-Medina, 2019. "The role of South African researchers in intercontinental collaboration," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 121(3), pages 1293-1321, December.
    19. Chen, Kaihua & Zhang, Yi & Fu, Xiaolan, 2019. "International research collaboration: An emerging domain of innovation studies?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 149-168.
    20. Talita Yamashiro Fordelone, 2011. "Triangular co-operation and aid effectiveness," OECD Journal: General Papers, OECD Publishing, vol. 2010(1), pages 47-67.
    21. Fabio Landini & Franco Malerba & Roberto Mavilia, 2015. "The structure and dynamics of networks of scientific collaborations in Northern Africa," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 105(3), pages 1787-1807, December.
    22. Radhamany Sooryamoorthy, 2010. "Science and scientific collaboration in South Africa: apartheid and after," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 84(2), pages 373-390, August.
    23. Glenda Kruss & John Adeoti & Dani Nabudere, 2012. "Universities and Knowledge-based Development in sub-Saharan Africa: Comparing University--Firm Interaction in Nigeria, Uganda and South Africa," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(4), pages 516-530, November.
    24. Vicente P. Guerrero Bote & Carlos Olmeda-Gómez & Félix Moya-Anegón, 2013. "Quantifying the benefits of international scientific collaboration," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 64(2), pages 392-404, February.
    25. Wolfgang Glänzel & András Schubert, 2001. "Double effort = Double impact? A critical view at international co-authorship in chemistry," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 50(2), pages 199-214, February.
    26. Guns, Raf & Wang, Lili, 2017. "Detecting the emergence of new scientific collaboration links in Africa: A comparison of expected and realized collaboration intensities," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 11(3), pages 892-903.
    27. Michel Zitt & Elise Bassecoulard & Yoshiko Okubo, 2000. "Shadows of the Past in International Cooperation: Collaboration Profiles of the Top Five Producers of Science," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 47(3), pages 627-657, March.
    28. Donald Deb. Beaver, 2001. "Reflections on Scientific Collaboration (and its study): Past, Present, and Future," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 52(3), pages 365-377, November.
    29. Eustache Mêgnigbêto, 2013. "International collaboration in scientific publishing: the case of West Africa (2001–2010)," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 96(3), pages 761-783, September.
    30. Vicente P. Guerrero Bote & Carlos Olmeda‐Gómez & Félix de Moya‐Anegón, 2013. "Quantifying the benefits of international scientific collaboration," Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 64(2), pages 392-404, February.
    31. Wagner, Caroline S. & Leydesdorff, Loet, 2005. "Network structure, self-organization, and the growth of international collaboration in science," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(10), pages 1608-1618, December.
    32. Jiang, Ling (Alice) & Zhu, Nibing & Yang, Zhilin & Xu, Shen & Jun, Minjoon, 2018. "The relationships between distance factors and international collaborative research outcomes: A bibliometric examination," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 12(3), pages 618-630.
    33. Marta Zdravkovic & Linley Chiwona-Karltun & Eren Zink, 2016. "Experiences and perceptions of South–South and North–South scientific collaboration of mathematicians, physicists and chemists from five southern African universities," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 108(2), pages 717-743, August.
    34. Melin, Goran, 2000. "Pragmatism and self-organization: Research collaboration on the individual level," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 31-40, January.
    35. Robert J. W. Tijssen & Jos J. Winnink, 2018. "Capturing ‘R&D excellence’: indicators, international statistics, and innovative universities," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 114(2), pages 687-699, February.
    36. Katz, J. Sylvan & Martin, Ben R., 1997. "What is research collaboration?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 26(1), pages 1-18, March.
    37. Hoekman, Jarno & Frenken, Koen & Tijssen, Robert J.W., 2010. "Research collaboration at a distance: Changing spatial patterns of scientific collaboration within Europe," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(5), pages 662-673, June.
    38. Ron Boschma, 2005. "Proximity and Innovation: A Critical Assessment," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(1), pages 61-74.
    39. Bozeman, Barry & Corley, Elizabeth, 2004. "Scientists' collaboration strategies: implications for scientific and technical human capital," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 599-616, May.
    40. Marianne Schmink & Jennifer Cairns Smart & Isabel Sitoe & Walter Bowen & Henoque Ribeiro Silva & Carvalho Carlos Ecole & Lenita Haber, 2020. "Challenges and opportunities of trilateral co‐operation: Collaboration by the USA, Brazil and Mozambique on horticultural research, 2011–2015," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 38(5), pages 575-593, September.
    41. Skupien, Stefan & Rüffin, Nicolas, 2020. "The Geography of Research Funding: Semantics and Beyond," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 24(1), pages 24-38.
    42. Frederick Owusu-Nimo & Nelius Boshoff, 2017. "Research collaboration in Ghana: patterns, motives and roles," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 110(3), pages 1099-1121, March.
    43. Jonathan Adams & Karen Gurney & Daniel Hook & Loet Leydesdorff, 2014. "International collaboration clusters in Africa," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 98(1), pages 547-556, January.
    44. Anastassios Pouris & Yuh-Shan Ho, 2014. "Research emphasis and collaboration in Africa," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 98(3), pages 2169-2184, March.
    45. Crane, Diana, 1971. "Transnational Networks in Basic Science," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 25(3), pages 585-601, July.
    46. Mammo Muchie & Swapan Kumar Patra, 2020. "China–Africa science and technology collaboration: evidence from collaborative research papers and patents," Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(1), pages 1-27, July.
    47. Muriithi, Petronilla & Horner, David & Pemberton, Lyn & Wao, Hesborn, 2018. "Factors influencing research collaborations in Kenyan universities," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(1), pages 88-97.
    48. Omwoyo Bosire Onyancha & Jan Resenga Maluleka, 2011. "Knowledge production through collaborative research in sub-Saharan Africa: how much do countries contribute to each other’s knowledge output and citation impact?," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 87(2), pages 315-336, May.
    49. Chipo Chimhundu & Kylie Jager & Tania Douglas, 2015. "Sectoral collaboration networks for cardiovascular medical device development in South Africa," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 105(3), pages 1721-1741, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Robertas Damaševičius & Ligita Zailskaitė-Jakštė, 2023. "The Impact of a National Crisis on Research Collaborations: A Scientometric Analysis of Ukrainian Authors 2019–2022," Publications, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-16, August.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jorge Cerdeira & João Mesquita & Elizabeth S. Vieira, 2023. "International research collaboration: is Africa different? A cross-country panel data analysis," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 128(4), pages 2145-2174, April.
    2. Vieira, Elizabeth S. & Cerdeira, Jorge & Teixeira, Aurora A.C., 2022. "Which distance dimensions matter in international research collaboration? A cross-country analysis by scientific domain," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 16(2).
    3. Elizabeth S. Vieira & Jorge Cerdeira, 2022. "The integration of African countries in international research networks," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 127(4), pages 1995-2021, April.
    4. Nelson Casimiro Zavale & Patrício Vitorino Langa, 2018. "University-industry linkages’ literature on Sub-Saharan Africa: systematic literature review and bibliometric account," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 116(1), pages 1-49, July.
    5. Matthew Harsh & Ravtosh Bal & Alex Weryha & Justin Whatley & Charles C. Onu & Lisa M. Negro, 2021. "Mapping computer science research in Africa: using academic networking sites for assessing research activity," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 126(1), pages 305-334, January.
    6. Dosso, Mafini & Cassi, Lorenzo & Mescheba, Wilfriedo, 2023. "Towards regional scientific integration in Africa? Evidence from co-publications," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(1).
    7. Jyoti Dua & Vivek Kumar Singh & Hiran H. Lathabai, 2023. "Measuring and characterizing international collaboration patterns in Indian scientific research," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 128(9), pages 5081-5116, September.
    8. Jyoti Dua & Hiran H. Lathabai & Vivek Kumar Singh, 2023. "Measuring and characterizing research collaboration in SAARC countries," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 128(2), pages 1265-1294, February.
    9. Chin-Chang Tsai & Elizabeth A. Corley & Barry Bozeman, 2016. "Collaboration experiences across scientific disciplines and cohorts," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 108(2), pages 505-529, August.
    10. Elizabeth S. Vieira, 2023. "The influence of research collaboration on citation impact: the countries in the European Innovation Scoreboard," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 128(6), pages 3555-3579, June.
    11. Laurent R. Bergé, 2017. "Network proximity in the geography of research collaboration," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 96(4), pages 785-815, November.
    12. Chaocheng He & Jiang Wu & Qingpeng Zhang, 2021. "Characterizing research leadership on geographically weighted collaboration network," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 126(5), pages 4005-4037, May.
    13. Candelaria Barrios & Esther Flores & M. Ángeles Martínez & Marta Ruiz-Martínez, 2019. "Is there convergence in international research collaboration? An exploration at the country level in the basic and applied science fields," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 120(2), pages 631-659, August.
    14. Similo Ngwenya & Nelius Boshoff, 2020. "Participation of ‘international national organisations’ in Africa’s research: a bibliometric study of agriculture and health in Zimbabwe," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 124(1), pages 533-553, July.
    15. Guns, Raf & Wang, Lili, 2017. "Detecting the emergence of new scientific collaboration links in Africa: A comparison of expected and realized collaboration intensities," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 11(3), pages 892-903.
    16. Similo Ngwenya & Nelius Boshoff, 2022. "Different manifestations of ‘context’: examples from a bibliometric study of research in Zimbabwe in Southern Africa," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 127(7), pages 3911-3933, July.
    17. Toluwase Asubiaro, 2019. "How collaboration type, publication place, funding and author’s role affect citations received by publications from Africa: A bibliometric study of LIS research from 1996 to 2015," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 120(3), pages 1261-1287, September.
    18. Ana Fernández & Esther Ferrándiz & M. Dolores León, 2021. "Are organizational and economic proximity driving factors of scientific collaboration? Evidence from Spanish universities, 2001–2010," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 126(1), pages 579-602, January.
    19. Graf, Holger & Kalthaus, Martin, 2018. "International research networks: Determinants of country embeddedness," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(7), pages 1198-1214.
    20. Dongqing Lyu & Kaile Gong & Xuanmin Ruan & Ying Cheng & Jiang Li, 2021. "Does research collaboration influence the “disruption” of articles? Evidence from neurosciences," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 126(1), pages 287-303, January.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:127:y:2022:i:5:d:10.1007_s11192-022-04349-y. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.