Outperform your neighbors

Abstract

A new framework of international comparisons is advised: each country is gauged against its bordering countries. This approach has several undeniable drawbacks, but by revealing some otherwise hidden patterns, advantageously supplements the customary comparison methods.

How much the shared ocean or lake basins connect the researchers in neighbouring countries?

“…-Although historical and other problems between neighbouring countries (including rivalry between them (Schubert and Schubert 2009)) are preventing collaborative research on the connecting topic, the existing collaborative research has a large impact on the research of the topic. -Difference in the development of neighbouring countries results in difference of the impact of their published articles on the connecting topic.…”

“…However, in-depth analysis of what kind of research is being carried out by the individual nations, and through their collaborative projects, should be done (including funding issues) as citations differs from discipline to discipline regardless of collaboration (Sooryamoorthy 2009;Schubert and Schubert 2009). The better visibility and internationality is thereafter allowing for the participation in the quality international research projects, which are strongly supported by some large funding agencies (e.g.…”

“…International collaboration may be triggered by various reasons, starting from individual interests and motivations, large collaborative projects with huge resources needed, up to the connecting topics that may be of interest to many countries (Beaver 2001), especially to the neighbours (Schubert and Schubert 2009). On the other hand, large number of studies documents the better visibility and impact of the research that is carried out internationally (Glänzel 2001;De Fillipo et al 2008;Katsouyanni 2008), but not in all research fields (Ferner and Aronson 2005).…”