Uncovering Research Collaboration Patterns in Korean Academic Science Journals

This study investigates research collaboration trends within the Korean academic community, analyzing 149,217 papers published in 500 domestic academic journals. Using a comprehensive approach, the data were organized and affiliations classified by institution, institution type, country/region, and department type. Bibliometric analysis and social network analysis (SNA) were employed to examine co-author relationships and collaborative networks in depth. The findings show that the degree of collaboration was 80.8%, while the degree of institutional collaboration was 38.6%. Collaboration was notably higher in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and medicine). Papers authored by domestic researchers accounted for 95% of the total, highlighting limited international collaboration. English-language journals demonstrated higher overall collaboration rates, including international collaborations, compared to Korean-language journals. The Hirschman-Herfindahl Index (HHI) was used to assess departmental concentration by research field. The results revealed significant differences in collaboration levels across department types, with some fields exhibiting monopolistic tendencies and others showing strong multidisciplinary collaboration. Institutional co-authorship network analysis identified the Seoul capital area as the central hub of research activity in Korea. A weak negative correlation was observed between geographic distance and collaboration frequency. Network analysis also revealed that institutions with high publication productivity and active research collaborations exhibited greater network centrality (degree and betweenness centrality). These centrality metrics were moderately positively correlated with academic performance, as measured by cited counts and views. This study explores the collaborative structures and network characteristics of Korean academic research from multiple perspectives, providing a comprehensive understanding and valuable insights into its research collaboration framework.