Exploring inequalities in co-authorship networks among Italian scholars
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71014/sieds.v80i3.457Keywords:
inequalities, socialcapital, coauthorships, networks, egonetworksAbstract
Social capital refers to the resources individuals can access through their network of relationships to achieve their goals or navigate challenges. This study examines the structure of collaboration networks in which Italian academics are embedded. Specifically, we analyze inequalities in co-authorship networks among Italian scholars in the fields of Statistics, Management, and General and Applied Sociology. We compiled a list of scholars and their attributes as of 2022 using data from the Ministry of University and Research. By linking each scholar to their Scopus ID, we collected co-authorship data from Scopus publications covering the period from 2012 to 2022. We utilize an egocentric network approach to build personal co-authorship networks. We calculate various structural and compositional indices—such as component ratios, network density, and diversity—to categorize these personal networks and conduct network clustering to identify different network typologies. Our results reveal variations in personal networks across the four disciplines, reflecting the specific academic norms and roles associated with each field.
References
ABBASI A., ALTMANN J., HOSSAIN L. 2011. Identifying the effects of co-authorship networks on the performance of scholars: A correlation and regression analysis of performance measures and social network analysis measures. Journal of informetrics, Vol. 5, No. 4, pp. 594-607. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joi.2011.05.007
ABRAMO G., D’ANGELO C. A., ROSATI F. 2015. The determinants of academic career advancement: Evidence from Italy. Science and Public Policy, Vol. 42, No. 6, 761-774. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/scipol/scu086
AL‐TABBAA O., ANKTAH S 2019. Engineered’university‐industry collaboration: A social capital perspective. European Management Review, Vol. 16, No. 3, pp. 543-565. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/emre.12174
AMATI V., MEGGIOLARO S., RIVELLINI G., ZACCARIN S. 2018. Social relations and life satisfaction: the role of friends. Genus, Vol. 74, No. 7, pp. 1-18. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s41118-018-0032-z
BECHER T., TROWLER P. 2001. Academic tribes and territories: Intellectual enquiry and the culture of disciplines. Buckingham: Open University Press/McGraw-Hill.
BELLOTTI E. 2012. Getting funded. Multi-level network of physicists in Italy. Social Networks, Vol. 34, No. 2, pp. 215-229. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socnet.2011.12.002
BELLOTTI E., KRONEGGER L., GUADALUPI L. 2016. The evolution of research collaboration within and across disciplines in Italian Academia. Scientometrics, Vol. 109, pp. 783-811. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-016-2068-1
BHANDARI H., YASUNOBU K. 2009. What is social capital? A comprehensive review of the concept. Asian Journal of Social Science, Vol. 37. No. 3, pp. 480-510. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/156853109X436847
BIKARDM M., MURRAY F., GANS J.S. 2015. Exploring trade-offs in the organization of scientific work: Collaboration and scientific reward. Management science, Vol. 61, No. 7, pp. 1473-1495. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2014.2052
BOURDIEU P. 1986. The forms of capital. In: RICHARDSON J. (Ed.) Handbook of theory and research for the sociology of education. New York: Greenwood Press, pp. 241-58.
BOZEMAN B., CORLEY E. 2004. Scientists’ collaboration strategies: implications for scientific and technical human capital. Research policy, Vol. 33, No. 4, pp. 599-616. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2004.01.008
BOZEMAN B., GAUGHAN M. 2011. How do men and women differ in research collaborations? Research Policy, Vol. 40, No. 10, pp. 1393-1402. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2011.07.002
COLEMAN J. S. 1988. Social capital in the creation of human capital. American Journal of Sociology, Vol. 94, pp. 95-120. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/228943
DE STEFANO D., ZACCARIN S. 2016. Co-authorship networks and scientific performance: An empirical analysis using the generalized extreme value distribution. Journal of Applied Statistics, Vol. 43, No. 1, pp.262-279. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02664763.2015.1017719
DURLAUF S., FAFCHAMPS M. 2005. Social capital. In AGHION P. and S. DURLAUF S. (Eds.) Handbook of economic growth, Amsterdam: Elsevier, pp. 1639-1699. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1574-0684(05)01026-9
HAMMARFELT B. 2016. Beyond coverage: Toward a bibliometrics for the humanities. In OCHSNER M., HUG S. E., DANIEL H. D. (Eds.), Research Assessment in the Humanities, Springer, pp. 115-131 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29016-4_10
KATZ J.S., MARTIN B.R. 1997. What is research collaboration?. Research policy, Vol. 26, No. 1, pp. 1-18. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0048-7333(96)00917-1
KYVIK S. 2003. Changing trends in publishing behaviour among university faculty, 1980–2000. Scientometrics, Vol. 58, No. 1, pp. 35-48. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025475423482
IGLIČ H., DOREIAN P., KRONEGGER L., FERLIGOJ A. (2017) With whom do researchers collaborate and why?. Scientometrics, Vol. 112, pp. 153-174. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-017-2386-y
LIN N., FU Y., HSUNG R. 2001. The position generator: a measurement instrument for social capital. In LIN N., COOK K. and BURT R. (Eds.), Social capital: theory and research, New York: Aldine de Gruyter, pp. 57–81
LU W., REN Y., HUANG Y., BU Y., ZHANG Y. 2021. Scientific collaboration and career stages: An ego-centric perspective. Journal of Informetrics, Vol. 15, No. 4, 101207. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joi.2021.101207
MUSSELIN C. 2013. How peer review empowers the academic profession and university managers. Research Policy, Vol. 42, No. 5, pp. 1165-1173. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2013.02.002
ORTEGA J.L. 2014. Influence of co-authorship networks in the research impact: Ego network analyses from Microsoft Academic Search. Journal of Informetrics, Vol. 8, No. 3, pp. 728-737. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joi.2014.07.001
PELLE E., PAPPADÀ R. 2021. A clustering procedure for mixed-type data to explore ego network typologies: an application to elderly people living alone in Italy. Statistical Methods & Applications, Vol. 30, No. 5, pp.1507-1533. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10260-021-00591-5
PERRY B.L., PESCOSOLIDO B.A., BORGATTI, S.P. 2018. Egocentric network analysis: Foundations, methods, and models. Cambridge university press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316443255
PORTES A. 1998. Social capital: Its origins and applications in modern sociology. Annual Review of Sociology, Vol. 24, pp. 1–24. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.soc.24.1.1
VAN DEN BRINK M., BENSCHOP Y. 2012. Slaying the seven-headed dragon: The quest for gender change in academia. Gender, Work & Organization, Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 71-92. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0432.2011.00566.x
VEENSTRA G., ABEL T. 2019. Capital interplays and social inequalities in health. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, Vol. 47, No. 6, pp. 631-634. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1403494818824436
ZINOVYEVAN., BAGUES M. 2015. The role of connections in academic promotions. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, Vol. 7, No.2, pp. 264-292. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1257/app.20120337
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Gianpaolo Caprino, Viviana Amati
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
