Discovering Research Collaboration Networks from Scientific Digital Libraries and Repositories
Discovering Research Collaboration Networks from Scientific Digital Libraries and Repositories

Summary/Abstract: PURPOSE: The purpose of the study is to outline a practical model for discovering research collaboration networks on the basis of data and information stored in scientific digital libraries and repositories. The discovered relationships between researchers, projects, scientific institutions and other scientific entities are used for identifying collaboration networks of researchers and research institutions interested in or working on a given subject. Afterwards, such networks can be subject to various types of network analysis in order to get in-depth knowledge on the networks and their components. APPROACH/METHODS: The method adopted in the study is twofold, that is: (i) it takes into consideration the way of discovering collaboration networks by means of simple tools that have been implemented within the ΩΨR system developed at Warsaw University of Technology; (ii) it develops an outline of a formal model of research collaboration networks that takes into account the specificity of scientific digital libraries and repositories and includes the network analysis techniques for discovering knowledge residing/hidden in the networks. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The outcome of the research is the outline of a formal model of research collaboration networks that includes: (i) a discovery mechanism for identifying thematically related scientists, projects, research institutions, and other scientific entities; and (ii) a set of network analysis methods for getting in-depth knowledge residing in the networks. The model is implementable and scalable in terms of functionality it offers and the network analysis techniques it includes. The model is founded on a solid ground, which is the ΩΨR system functionality to discover simple collaboration networks, and it is being used for enhancing the ΩΨR system. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The value of the research is the outline of a general research collaboration networks model that: (i) can help identify, build, and analyse research communities, and thereby increases the scope, value and impact of scientific endeavours on science and society; (ii) is used for enhancing the ΩΨR system.

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