Detecting, Identifying and Visualizing Research Groups in Co-Authorship Networks Articles uri icon

publication date

  • February 2010

start page

  • 307

end page

  • 319

issue

  • 2

volume

  • 82

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 0138-9130

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1588-2861

abstract

  • Abstract The present paper proposes a method for detecting, identifying and visualizing research groups. The data used refer to nine
    Carlos III University of Madrid departments, while the findings for the
    Communication Technologies Department illustrate the
    method. Structural analysis was used to generate co-authorship
    networks. Research groups were identified on the basis of factorial
    analysis of the raw data matrix and similarities in the choice of
    co-authors. The resulting networks distinguished the researchers
    participating in the intra-departmental network from those not involved
    and identified the existing research groups. Fields
    of research were characterized by the Journal of Citation Report
    subject category assigned to the bibliographic references
    cited in the papers written by the author-factors. The results, i.e.,
    the graphic displays of the structures of the socio-centric
    and co-authorship networks and the strategies underlying collaboration
    among researchers, were later discussed with the members
    of the departments analyzed. The paper constitutes a starting point for
    understanding and characterizing networking within
    research institutions.