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Q-measures and betweenness centrality in a collaboration network: a case study of the field of informetrics

Author

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  • Raf Guns

    (University of Antwerp, IBW)

  • Yu Xian Liu

    (University of Antwerp, IBW
    Library of Tongji University)

  • Dilruba Mahbuba

    (University of Antwerp, IBW
    Asian University for Women)

Abstract

We study global and local Q-measures, as well as betweenness centrality, as indicators of international collaboration in research. After a brief review of their definitions, we introduce the concepts of external and internal inter-group geodesics. These concepts are applied to a collaboration network of 1129 researchers from different countries, which is based on publications in bibliometrics, informetrics, webometrics, and scientometrics (BIWS in short) from the period 1990–2009. It is thus illustrated how international collaboration (among authors from different countries) in BIWS is carried out. Our results suggest that average scores for local Q-measures are typically higher, indicating a relatively low degree of international collaboration in BIWS. The dominating form of international collaboration is bilateral, whereas multilateral collaboration is relatively rare in the field of BIWS. We also identify and visualize the most important global and local actors. Dividing the entire period in four 5-year periods, it is found that most international collaboration in the field has happened in the last time slice (2005–2009). A comparison of the different time slices reveals the non-linear growth of the indicators studied and the international expansion of the field.

Suggested Citation

  • Raf Guns & Yu Xian Liu & Dilruba Mahbuba, 2011. "Q-measures and betweenness centrality in a collaboration network: a case study of the field of informetrics," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 87(1), pages 133-147, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:87:y:2011:i:1:d:10.1007_s11192-010-0332-3
    DOI: 10.1007/s11192-010-0332-3
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ronald Rousseau & Lin Zhang, 2008. "Betweenness centrality and Q-measures in directed valued networks," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 75(3), pages 575-590, June.
    2. Erjia Yan & Ying Ding, 2009. "Applying centrality measures to impact analysis: A coauthorship network analysis," Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 60(10), pages 2107-2118, October.
    3. Loet Leydesdorff, 2009. "How are new citation‐based journal indicators adding to the bibliometric toolbox?," Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 60(7), pages 1327-1336, July.
    4. Lixin Chen & Ronald Rousseau, 2008. "Q-measures for binary divided networks: Bridges between German and English institutes in publications of the Journal of Fluid Mechanics," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 74(1), pages 57-69, January.
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