IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/infome/v6y2012i3p435-447.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Factors affecting web links between European higher education institutions

Author

Listed:
  • Seeber, Marco
  • Lepori, Benedetto
  • Lomi, Alessandro
  • Aguillo, Isidro
  • Barberio, Vitaliano

Abstract

We examine the extent to which the presence and number of web links between higher education institutions can be predicted from a set of structural factors like country, subject mix, physical distance, academic reputation, and size. We combine two datasets on a large sample of European higher education institutions (HEIs) containing information on inter-university web links, and organizational characteristics, respectively. Descriptive and inferential analyses provide strong support for our hypotheses: we identify factors predicting the connectivity between HEIs, and the number of web links existing between them. We conclude that, while the presence of a web link cannot be directly related to its underlying motivation and the type of relationship between HEIs, patterns of network ties between HEIs present interesting statistical properties which reveal new insights on the function and structure of the inter organizational networks in which HEIs are embedded.

Suggested Citation

  • Seeber, Marco & Lepori, Benedetto & Lomi, Alessandro & Aguillo, Isidro & Barberio, Vitaliano, 2012. "Factors affecting web links between European higher education institutions," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 6(3), pages 435-447.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:infome:v:6:y:2012:i:3:p:435-447
    DOI: 10.1016/j.joi.2012.03.001
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1751157712000235
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.joi.2012.03.001?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Franz Barjak & Mike Thelwall, 2008. "A statistical analysis of the web presences of European life sciences research teams," Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 59(4), pages 628-643, February.
    2. Mullahy, John, 1986. "Specification and testing of some modified count data models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 33(3), pages 341-365, December.
    3. Yves L. Doz & Paul M. Olk & Peter Smith Ring, 2000. "Formation processes of R&D consortia: which path to take? Where does it lead?," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(3), pages 239-266, March.
    4. Liwen Vaughan & Margaret E. I. Kipp & Yijun Gao, 2007. "Why are Websites co-linked? The case of Canadian universities," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 72(1), pages 81-92, July.
    5. Judit Bar-Ilan, 2004. "A microscopic link analysis of academic institutions within a country — the case of Israel," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 59(3), pages 391-403, March.
    6. Mike Thelwall & Rong Tang & Liz Price, 2003. "Linguistic patterns of academic Web use in Western Europe," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 56(3), pages 417-432, March.
    7. T. S. Evans & R. Lambiotte & P. Panzarasa, 2011. "Community structure and patterns of scientific collaboration in Business and Management," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 89(1), pages 381-396, October.
    8. Mike Thelwall & Gareth Harries, 2004. "Do the Web sites of higher rated scholars have significantly more online impact?," Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 55(2), pages 149-159, January.
    9. Hildrun Kretschmer & Ute Kretschmer & Theo Kretschmer, 2007. "Reflection of co-authorship networks in the Web: Web hyperlinks versus Web visibility rates," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 70(2), pages 519-540, February.
    10. Isidro F. Aguillo & Begoña Granadino & José L. Ortega & José A. Prieto, 2006. "Scientific research activity and communication measured with cybermetrics indicators," Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 57(10), pages 1296-1302, August.
    11. Barbara Heller-Schuh & Michael Barber & Luisa Maria Henriques & Manfred Paier & Dimitrios Pontikakis & Thomas Scherngell & Giuseppe Veltri & Matthias Weber, 2011. "Analysis of Networks in European Framework Programmes (1984-2006)," JRC Research Reports JRC63467, Joint Research Centre.
    12. Mike Thelwall & Alesia Zuccala, 2008. "A university-centred European Union link analysis," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 75(3), pages 407-420, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Benedetto Lepori & Isidro F. Aguillo & Marco Seeber, 2014. "Size of web domains and interlinking behavior of higher education institutions in Europe," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 100(2), pages 497-518, August.
    2. Enrique Orduña-Malea & José-Antonio Ontalba-Ruipérez, 2013. "Selective linking from social platforms to university websites: a case study of the Spanish academic system," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 95(2), pages 593-614, May.
    3. Pamela Barreto Lang & Fábio Castro Gouveia & Jacqueline Leta, 2013. "Cooperation in Health: Mapping Collaborative Networks on the Web," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(8), pages 1-7, August.
    4. Patrick Kenekayoro & Kevan Buckley & Mike Thelwall, 2015. "Clustering research group website homepages," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 102(3), pages 2023-2039, March.
    5. José-Antonio Ontalba-Ruipérez & Enrique Orduna-Malea & Adolfo Alonso-Arroyo, 2016. "Identifying institutional relationships in a geographically distributed public health system using interlinking and co-authorship methods," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 106(3), pages 1167-1191, March.
    6. Lepori, Benedetto & Barberio, Vitaliano & Seeber, Marco & Aguillo, Isidro, 2013. "Core–periphery structures in national higher education systems. A cross-country analysis using interlinking data," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 7(3), pages 622-634.
    7. George A. Barnett & Han Woo Park & Ke Jiang & Chuan Tang & Isidro F. Aguillo, 2014. "A multi-level network analysis of web-citations among the world’s universities," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 99(1), pages 5-26, April.
    8. Pardeep Sud & Mike Thelwall, 2014. "Linked title mentions: a new automated link search candidate," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 101(3), pages 1831-1849, December.
    9. Lepori, B. & Seeber, M. & Bonaccorsi, A., 2015. "Competition for talent. Country and organizational-level effects in the internationalization of European higher education institutions," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(3), pages 789-802.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Lepori, Benedetto & Barberio, Vitaliano & Seeber, Marco & Aguillo, Isidro, 2013. "Core–periphery structures in national higher education systems. A cross-country analysis using interlinking data," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 7(3), pages 622-634.
    2. Bar-Ilan, Judit, 2008. "Informetrics at the beginning of the 21st century—A review," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 2(1), pages 1-52.
    3. Benedetto Lepori & Isidro F. Aguillo & Marco Seeber, 2014. "Size of web domains and interlinking behavior of higher education institutions in Europe," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 100(2), pages 497-518, August.
    4. Amalia Mas-Bleda & Mike Thelwall & Kayvan Kousha & Isidro F. Aguillo, 2014. "Do highly cited researchers successfully use the social web?," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 101(1), pages 337-356, October.
    5. Chung Joo Chung & Han Woo Park, 2012. "Web visibility of scholars in media and communication journals," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 93(1), pages 207-215, October.
    6. Young Mee Chung & So Young Yu & Yong Kwang Kim & Su Yeon Kim, 2009. "Characteristics and link structure of a national scholarly Web space: The case of South Korea," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 80(3), pages 595-612, September.
    7. George A. Barnett & Han Woo Park & Ke Jiang & Chuan Tang & Isidro F. Aguillo, 2014. "A multi-level network analysis of web-citations among the world’s universities," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 99(1), pages 5-26, April.
    8. Mike Thelwall, 2012. "Journal impact evaluation: a webometric perspective," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 92(2), pages 429-441, August.
    9. Han Park & Mike Thelwall, 2008. "Link analysis: Hyperlink patterns and social structure on politicians’ Web sites in South Korea," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 42(5), pages 687-697, October.
    10. Moosung Lee & Han Woo Park, 2012. "Exploring the web visibility of world-class universities," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 90(1), pages 201-218, January.
    11. Mike Thelwall & Alesia Zuccala, 2008. "A university-centred European Union link analysis," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 75(3), pages 407-420, June.
    12. Patrick Kenekayoro & Kevan Buckley & Mike Thelwall, 2015. "Clustering research group website homepages," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 102(3), pages 2023-2039, March.
    13. Pardeep Sud & Mike Thelwall, 2014. "Linked title mentions: a new automated link search candidate," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 101(3), pages 1831-1849, December.
    14. Benedetto Lepori & Valerio Veglio & Barbara Heller-Schuh & Thomas Scherngell & Michael Barber, 2015. "Participations to European Framework Programs of higher education institutions and their association with organizational characteristics," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 105(3), pages 2149-2178, December.
    15. José-Antonio Ontalba-Ruipérez & Enrique Orduna-Malea & Adolfo Alonso-Arroyo, 2016. "Identifying institutional relationships in a geographically distributed public health system using interlinking and co-authorship methods," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 106(3), pages 1167-1191, March.
    16. Janc Krzysztof, 2012. "Possibilities of hyperlink application in spatial research," Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series, Sciendo, vol. 17(17), pages 57-65, January.
    17. Enrique Orduña-Malea & Adolfo Alonso-Arroyo & José-Antonio Ontalba-Ruipérez & Ferrán Catalá-López, 2023. "Evaluating the online impact of reporting guidelines for randomised trial reports and protocols: a cross-sectional web-based data analysis of CONSORT and SPIRIT initiatives," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 128(1), pages 407-440, January.
    18. Kuang-hua Chen & Muh-chyun Tang & Chun-mei Wang & Jieh Hsiang, 2015. "Exploring alternative metrics of scholarly performance in the social sciences and humanities in Taiwan," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 102(1), pages 97-112, January.
    19. David Gunnarsson Lorentzen, 2014. "Webometrics benefitting from web mining? An investigation of methods and applications of two research fields," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 99(2), pages 409-445, May.
    20. Nigel Payne & Mike Thelwall, 2007. "A longitudinal study of academic webs: Growth and stabilisation," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 71(3), pages 523-539, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:infome:v:6:y:2012:i:3:p:435-447. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/joi .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.