Co-authorship networks as a tool for evaluating the scientific production of research groups

Abstract

It shows the importance of the use of relational indicators in studies of the scientific production of research groups, in order to determine their publication dynamics, with emphasis on measures such as centrality, density and size of the network. A co-authorship network is presented that allows visualizing the collaboration between groups and the dynamics of collaboration within each group. Likewise, it is exemplified with a case study, the calculation of indicators of the network and its relation with indicators of productivity. The sample analyzed corresponds to the scientific articles reported by 8 research groups in the Biology area of a Higher Education Institution in Colombia, publications linked to the GrupLac of the ScienTI platform by each research group. The Pajek software used to elaborate and visualize the network. It found that the research groups analyzed have, in general, low density, that is, a low number of links or relationships between the authors, also a low link between the groups of the same institution in the study area.