Investigating the interplay between fundamentals of national research systems: performance, investments and international collaborations

We discuss, at the macro-level of nations, the contribution of research funding and rate of international collaboration to research performance, with important implications for the science of science policy. In particular, we cross-correlate suitable measures of these quantities with a scientometric-based assessment of scientific success, studying both the average performance of nations and their temporal dynamics in the space defined by these variables during the last decade. We find significant differences among nations in terms of efficiency in turning (financial) input into bibliometrically measurable output, and we confirm that growth of international collaboration positively correlate with scientific success, with significant benefits brought by EU integration policies. Various geo-cultural clusters of nations naturally emerge from our analysis. We critically discuss the possible factors that potentially determine the observed patterns.

💡 Research Summary

The paper investigates how three fundamental components of national research systems—R&D funding, international collaboration, and scientific performance—interact at the macro‑level of nations. Using OECD data on gross R&D expenditures (BERD, HERD, GOVERD) for 37 developed countries (2000‑2012) and SCImago‑Scopus bibliometric data for 239 nations (1996‑2013), the authors construct intensity‑normalized funding metrics, a success indicator based on the ratio of citation share to document share (Csh/Dsh), and an internationalization metric defined as the proportion of internationally co‑authored papers.

Statistical analyses reveal that HERD (higher‑education R&D) correlates most strongly with scientific success, while GOVERD shows weaker links, indicating that public research aimed at basic science yields higher bibliometric efficiency than mission‑oriented government R&D. International collaboration exhibits a robust positive correlation with success; EU member states benefit especially from integration policies that simultaneously raise collaboration rates and impact. Temporal trajectories (2004‑2012) show clusters of countries that improve both collaboration and impact, and others where collaboration rises without commensurate impact gains.

Hierarchical clustering uncovers geo‑cultural groupings (Western Europe, North America, East Asia, etc.) that share similar funding structures and collaboration patterns, suggesting that language, history, and regional policy shape research system dynamics. The study highlights three policy implications: (1) the composition of R&D spending matters more than total volume; (2) fostering international co‑authorship is a key lever for enhancing impact; and (3) one‑size‑fits‑all funding policies are inefficient across distinct cultural‑geographic clusters.

Limitations include under‑representation of social sciences and humanities in the bibliometric dataset, citation lag for recent publications, and the inability to establish causality definitively. The authors call for future work incorporating field‑specific analyses, longitudinal causal modeling, and broader output measures such as patents and data sets to deepen understanding of national research system performance.