Miao et al., "Persistent Hierarchy in Contemporary International Collaboration" (2025)

Lili Miao, Vincent Larivière, Byungkyu Lee, Yong-Yeol Ahn, and Cassidy R. Sugimoto, Submitted (2025)
arXiv

@article{miao2025persistent,
    author = {Lili Miao and Vincent Larivière and Byungkyu Lee and Yong-Yeol Ahn and Cassidy R. Sugimoto},
    title = {Persistent Hierarchy in Contemporary International Collaboration},
    year = {2025},
    eprint = {2410.13020},
    archivePrefix = {arXiv},
    primaryClass = {cs.DL},
}

We examine three million internationally coauthored publications and reveal a persistent hierarchical pattern: researchers from scientifically advanced nations tend to assume leadership positions while those from less-developed countries occupy supporting roles. This disparity persists even when accounting for various influential variables. Less scientifically advanced countries also often participate in collaborations that diverge from their domestic research focus, and researchers from developing nations face systematic disadvantages that limit their meaningful participation in global science.