Researchers with a large network of unique collaborators have longer careers, finds study

Are you keen to advance your scientific career? If so, it helps to have a big network of colleagues and a broad range of unique collaborators, according to a new analysis of physicists’ publication data. The study also finds that female scientists tend to work in more tightly connected groups than men, which can hamper their career progression.

The study was carried out by a team led by Mingrong She, a data analyst at Maastricht University in the Netherlands. It examined the article history of more than 23,000 researchers who had published at least three papers in American Physical Society (APS) journals. Each scientist’s last paper had been published before 2015, suggesting their research career had ended (arXiv:2408.02482).

To measure “collaboration behaviour”, the study noted the size of each scientist’s collaborative network, the reoccurrence of collaborations, the “interconnectivity” of the co-authors and the average number of co-authors per publication. Physicists with larger networks and a greater number of unique collaborators were found to have had longer careers and been more likely to become principal investigators, as given by their position in the author list.

On the other hand, publishing repeatedly with the same highly interconnected co-authors is associated with shorter careers and a lower chance of achieving principal investigator status, as is having a larger average number of coauthors.

The team also found that the more that physicists publish with the same co-authors, the more interconnected their networks become. Conversely, as network size increases, networks tended to be less dense and repeat collaboration less frequent.

Close-knit collaboration

In terms of gender, the study finds that women have more interconnected networks and a higher average number of co-authors than men. Female physicists are also more likely to publish repeatedly with the same co-authors, with women therefore being less likely than men to become principal investigators. Male scientists also have longer overall careers and stay in science longer after achieving principal investigator status than women, the study finds.

Collaborating with experts from diverse backgrounds introduces novel perspectives and opportunitiesMingrong She

“Collaborating with experts from diverse backgrounds introduces novel perspectives and opportunities [and] increases the probability of establishing connections with prominent researchers and institutions,” She told Physics World. Diverse collaboration also “mitigates the risk of being confined to a narrow niche and enhances adaptability” she adds,”both of which are indispensable for long-term career growth”.

Close-knit collaboration networks can be good for fostering professional support, the study authors state, but they reduce opportunities for female researchers to form new professional connections and lower their visibility within the broader scientific community. Similarly, larger numbers of co-authors dilute individual contributions, making it harder for female researchers to stand out.

She says the study “highlights how the structure of collaboration networks can reinforce existing inequalities, potentially limiting opportunities for women to achieve career longevity and progression”. Such issues could be improved with policies that help scientists to engage a wider array of collaborators, rewarding and encouraging small-team publications and diverse collaboration. Policies could include adjustments to performance evaluations and grant applications, and targeted training programmes.

The study also highlights lower mobility as a major obstacle for female scientists, suggesting that better childcare support, hybrid working and financial incentives could help improve the mobility and network size of female scientists.