Does Taking a PHD Abroad Increase the Number of International Publications? Reflections From the Best Self-Reported Publications in Portuguese Academia

Abstract

This paper contributes to the debate on academics' internationalisation and academic research productivity by focusing on knowledge diffusion. Public policies on science and technology developed in Portugal in the last years have fostered an increase in the number of PhD graduates, and incite them to study abroad. Consequently, many PhD students have been studying outside Portugal. Simultaneously, international publications have been assuming an increasing relevance in researcher's recruitment and career advancement. Taking those PhD graduates who have a contractual relation with a higher education institution (HEI), this study analyses if having a PhD abroad matters to the way researchers disseminate the knowledge they produce. Conclusions show a positive effect between taking the PhD abroad and reporting a higher number of international articles. However, and contrary to our expectations, when separating this result between ISCED-97 Fields of Education, such outcomes only hold for the areas of "Arts and Humanities" and "Social Sciences, Commerce and Law", being ineffective or even having the contrary effect for all other areas.