Abstract. Academic employment systems have recently been subjected to policy-driven changes in many countries, but the university sector is still governed by collegial dynamics in which academics’ views and attitudes are important. The present study, based on data from questionnaire survey responses from 4460 faculty members in public universities in Spain, attempts to account for the preferences of academics for the current system of accreditation for hiring and promotion.

Abstract. This study explores the characteristics of scientific activity patterns through co-author affiliations to obtain new insights into interdisciplinary research. To classify the interdisciplinarity in research, we explored and compared two different approaches: the diversity of disciplines reflected in the listed affiliations of the authors and the diversity of the subject categories reflected in the reference list.

Abstract. This study compares the flows of mobile researchers and the number of publications in international collaboration within the context of scientific and economic capacities. The goal is to identify the convergence or discrepancy of countries in mobility and collaboration and determine the positions and relative influence of countries in both processes. Using affiliation data from scientific publications, we analyze the distributions and networks of collaboration and mobility and their structural differences.

Abstract. This study explores the international profiles in collaboration and mobility of countries included in the so-called “travel bans” implemented by US President Trump as executive order in 2017. The objective of this research is to analyze the exchange of knowledge between countries and the relative importance of specific countries in order to inform evidence-based science policy. The work serves as a proof-of-concept of the utility of asymmetry and affinity indexes for collaboration and mobility.

Abstract. “Smart specialization” allows one to identify national strengths and weaknesses within research fields and establish priorities accordingly. It may be a useful strategy for building scientific capacity in developing and peripheral countries. The objective of this paper is to characterize the scientific output and specialization of the most productive Latin American countries with focus on international collaboration and impact.

Abstract. International collaboration in the creation of knowledge is changing the structural stratification of science, with implications for science policy. Analyses of collaboration in developing and emergent countries are of particular significance because initiatives are often the result of “research-for-aid” arrangements, generally based on North–South asymmetries. However, collaboration for mutual benefit and excellence has gained increasing acceptance, with “partner” selection becoming a strategic priority to enhance one’s own production.

Abstract. Since the discovery of the promising properties of graphene, research in the field has attracted numerous grants and sponsors, leading to an exponential rise in the number of papers and applications. This article presents a global map of graphene research and its intellectual structure, drawn using the terms of more than 50,000 documents extracted from Scopus database, years 1998–2015.