Co-Authorship and Academic Productivity in Economics: Interaction Maps from the Complex Networks Approach

35 Pages Posted: 7 Jul 2016

See all articles by Jose Alberto Molina

Jose Alberto Molina

University of Zaragoza - Department of Economic Analysis

Alberto Alcolea

Kampal Data Solutions S.L.

Alfredo Ferrer

University of Zaragoza

David Iñiguez

ARAID

Alejandro Rivero

University of Zaragoza

Gonzalo Ruiz

Kampal Data Solutions S.L.

Alfonso Tarancón

Kampal Data Solutions S.L.

Abstract

We explore the relationship between collaborations in writing papers and the academic productivity of economists and, particularly, we describe the magnitude and intensity of co-authorship among economists. To that end, we employ interaction maps from Complex Systems methods to study the global properties of specific networks. We use 8,253 JCR papers from ISI-WOK, published by 5,188 economists from Spanish institutions, and their co-authors, up to 8,202 researchers, from 2002 to 2014, to identify and determine the collaborative structure of economics research in Spain, with its primary communities and figures of influence.Our results indicate that centrality and productivity are correlated, particularly with respect to a local estimator of centrality (page rank), and we provide certain recommendations, such as promoting interactions among highly productive authors who have few co-authors with other researchers in their environment, or recommending that authors who may be well-positioned but minimally productive strive to improve their productivity.

Keywords: co-authorship, academic productivity, economists, interaction maps, complex networks

JEL Classification: A11, C45, C63, D85, I23, Y91

Suggested Citation

Molina Chueca, Jose Alberto and Alcolea, Alberto and Ferrer, Alfredo and Iñiguez, David and Rivero, Alejandro and Ruiz, Gonzalo and Tarancón, Alfonso, Co-Authorship and Academic Productivity in Economics: Interaction Maps from the Complex Networks Approach. IZA Discussion Paper No. 10008, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2803840 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2803840

Jose Alberto Molina Chueca (Contact Author)

University of Zaragoza - Department of Economic Analysis ( email )

50005 Zaragoza
Spain

Alberto Alcolea

Kampal Data Solutions S.L. ( email )

Paseo de la Independencia 19
Planta 7 Dcha, Oficina A
Zaragoza, 50001
Spain

Alfredo Ferrer

University of Zaragoza

Gran Via 2
Zaragoza, 50005
Spain

David Iñiguez

ARAID

C/ María de Luna, 11
planta 1ª, Edificio CEEI Aragón
Zaragoza, 500018
Spain

Alejandro Rivero

University of Zaragoza ( email )

Gran Via 2
Zaragoza, 50005
Spain

Gonzalo Ruiz

Kampal Data Solutions S.L. ( email )

Paseo de la Independencia 19
Planta 7 Dcha, Oficina A
Zaragoza, 50001
Spain

Alfonso Tarancón

Kampal Data Solutions S.L. ( email )

Paseo de la Independencia 19
Planta 7 Dcha, Oficina A
Zaragoza, 50001
Spain

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