International collaboration in medical radiation science

Abstract

IntroductionInternational collaboration is recognised for enhancing the ability to approach complex problems from a variety of perspectives, increasing development of a wider range of research skills and techniques and improving publication and acceptance rates. The aim of this paper is to describe the current status of international collaboration in medical radiation science and compare this to other allied health occupations.MethodsThis study utilised a content analysis approach where co‐authorship of a journal article was used as a proxy for research collaboration and the papers were assigned to countries based on the corporate address given in the by‐line of the publication. A convenience sample method was employed and articles published in the professional medical radiation science journals in the countries represented within our research team – Australia, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States of America (USA) were sampled. Physiotherapy, speech pathology, occupational therapy and nursing were chosen for comparison.ResultsRates of international collaboration in medical radiation science journals from Australia, the UK and the USA have steadily increased over the 3‐year period sampled. Medical radiation science demonstrated lower average rates of international collaboration than the other allied health occupations sampled. The average rate of international collaboration in nursing was far below that of the allied health occupations sampled. Overall, the UK had the highest average rate of international collaboration, followed by Australia and the USA, the lowest.ConclusionOverall, medical radiation science is lagging in international collaboration in comparison to other allied health fields.

United States federal government regulation of international research collaborations: What every physician-scientist should know

“…§§1701–1707). [ 1 ] The IEEPA falls under the provisions of the National Emergencies Act; Pub. L. 94–412, 90 Stat.…”

“…Such partnerships enhance one's ability to approach complex problems from varied perspectives, promoting the development of a wider range of research skills and techniques, and improved publication and citation rates. [ 1 2 3 ] According to Web of Science records, IRC rates have grown rapidly from 1990 (10%) to 2011 (25%). [ 4 ] Reasons may range from equipment sharing to accessing unique population-specific data.…”

“…[ 4 ] Reasons may range from equipment sharing to accessing unique population-specific data. [ 1 ] Historically, collaborative ties have shown a proximity effect,[ 5 6 ] but that appears to be diminishing. [ 7 ] Whereas some investigators may seek to improve research capacity through collaboration, others may seek partners with a specialized focus or patient population not available in their geographic proximity.…”

Guidance on good practice in authorship of journal publications

“…In some countries journal articles are assessed by government-backed bodies to evaluate research quality in order to apportion funding to institutions accordingly 1,2 . Not surprisingly, employers, industry, collaborators and others encourage medical radiation science professionals to collaborate and publish 3,4 .…”

International collaboration in radiography research

“…Compared with other professions, radiography has been poor at collaborating in research, with very few exceptions . In contrast to radiography, other professions have collaborated in research for a long time and a good example is European Council for Nuclear Research (Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire, CERN), in which many countries across the world invest and work together to study the basic constituents of matter.…”