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The Effect of Geographical Proximity on Scientific Cooperation among Chinese Cities from 1990 to 2010

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  • Haitao Ma
  • Chuanglin Fang
  • Bo Pang
  • Guangdong Li

Abstract

Background: The relations between geographical proximity and spatial distance constitute a popular topic of concern. Thus, how geographical proximity affects scientific cooperation, and whether geographically proximate scientific cooperation activities in fact exhibit geographic scale features should be investigated. Methodology: Selected statistics from the ISI database on cooperatively authored papers, the authors of which resided in 60 typical cites in China, and which were published in the years 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, and 2010, were used to establish matrices of geographic distance and cooperation levels between cities. By constructing a distance-cooperation model, the degree of scientific cooperation based on spatial distance was calculated. The relationship between geographical proximity and scientific cooperation, as well as changes in that relationship, was explored using the fitting function. Result: (1) Instead of declining, the role of geographical proximity in inter-city scientific cooperation has increased gradually but significantly with the popularization of telecommunication technologies; (2) the relationship between geographical proximity and scientific cooperation has not followed a perfect declining curve, and at certain spatial scales, the distance-decay regularity does not work; (3) the Chinese scientific cooperation network gathers around different regional center cities, showing a trend towards a regional network; within this cooperation network the amount of inter-city cooperation occurring at close range increased greatly. Conclusion: The relationship between inter-city geographical distance and scientific cooperation has been enhanced and strengthened over time.

Suggested Citation

  • Haitao Ma & Chuanglin Fang & Bo Pang & Guangdong Li, 2014. "The Effect of Geographical Proximity on Scientific Cooperation among Chinese Cities from 1990 to 2010," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(11), pages 1-11, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0111705
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0111705
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Türker, İlker & Çavuşoğlu, Abdullah, 2016. "Detailing the co-authorship networks in degree coupling, edge weight and academic age perspective," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 386-392.
    3. Liang, Wenyan & Gu, Jun & Nyland, Chris, 2022. "China's new research evaluation policy: Evidence from economics faculty of Elite Chinese universities," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(1).
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    5. Na Li & Haiyan Lu & Yongxin Lv, 2022. "High-Speed Railway Facilities, Intercity Accessibility and Urban Innovation Level—Evidence from Cities in Three Chinese Megacity Regions," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-16, July.
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    8. Yutao Sun & Kai Liu, 2016. "Proximity effect, preferential attachment and path dependence in inter-regional network: a case of China’s technology transaction," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 108(1), pages 201-220, July.
    9. Sheng-qiang Jiang & An-na Shi & Zhi-hang Peng & Xin Li, 2017. "Major factors affecting cross-city R&D collaborations in China: evidence from cross-sectional co-patent data between 224 cities," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 111(3), pages 1251-1266, June.
    10. Chengliang Liu & Caicheng Niu & Ji Han, 2019. "Spatial Dynamics of Intercity Technology Transfer Networks in China’s Three Urban Agglomerations: A Patent Transaction Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-24, March.
    11. Haitao Ma & Yingcheng Li & Xiaodong Huang, 2021. "Proximity and the evolving knowledge polycentricity of megalopolitan science: Evidence from China’s Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, 1990–2016," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 58(12), pages 2405-2423, September.
    12. Wentian Shi & Wenlong Yang & Debin Du, 2020. "The Scientific Cooperation Network of Chinese Scientists and Its Proximity Mechanism," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-18, January.
    13. Bornmann, Lutz & Stefaner, Moritz & de Moya Anegón, Felix & Mutz, Rüdiger, 2016. "Excellence networks in science: A Web-based application based on Bayesian multilevel logistic regression (BMLR) for the identification of institutions collaborating successfully," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 10(1), pages 312-327.
    14. Yingcheng Li & Nicholas Phelps, 2018. "Megalopolis unbound: Knowledge collaboration and functional polycentricity within and beyond the Yangtze River Delta Region in China, 2014," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 55(2), pages 443-460, February.

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