Atapuerca: evolution of scientific collaboration in an emergent large-scale research infrastructure

Sergi Lozano, Xosé-Pedro Rodríguez and Alex Arenas
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Xosé-Pedro Rodríguez: IPHES, Institut Catala de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social
Alex Arenas: IPHES, Institut Catala de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social

Scientometrics, 2014, vol. 98, issue 2, No 45, 1505-1520

Abstract: Abstract We study the evolution of scientific collaboration at Atapuerca’s archaeological complex along its emergence as a large-scale research infrastructure (LSRI). Using bibliometric and fieldwork data, we build and analyze co-authorship networks corresponding to the period 1992–2011. The analysis of such structures reveals a stable core of scholars with a long experience in Atapuerca’s fieldwork, which would control coauthorship-related information flows, and a tree-like periphery mostly populated by ‘external’ researchers. Interestingly, this scenario corresponds to the idea of a Equipo de Investigación de Atapuerca, originally envisioned by Atapuerca’s first director 30 years ago. These results have important systemic implications, both in terms of resilience of co-authorship structures and of ‘oriented’ or ‘guided’ self-organized network growth. Taking into account the scientific relevance of LSRIs, we expect a growing number of quantitative studies addressing collaboration among scholars in this sort of facilities in general and, particularly, emergent phenomena like the Atapuerca case.

Keywords: Emergent large-scale research infrastructures; Scientific collaboration dynamics; Co-authorship; Network analysis; Atapuerca (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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DOI: 10.1007/s11192-013-1162-x

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