IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/scient/v130y2025i5d10.1007_s11192-025-05327-w.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

International mobility boosts scientific careers: a synthetic control analysis of Brazilian researchers

Author

Listed:
  • Leonardo Biazoli

    (Federal University of Alfenas
    Federal University of Lavras)

  • Bruna Paula Fonseca

    (Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico em Saúde)

  • Mine Çetinkaya-Rundel

    (Duke University)

  • Eric Araújo

    (Calvin University)

  • Izabela Regina Cardoso Oliveira

    (Federal University of Lavras)

Abstract

The study of the relationship between scientific output and academic mobility is crucial for the formulation of public policies in developing countries. In this article, we present an application of the generalized synthetic control method for mobile Brazilian researchers in the health and life sciences field to estimate the effects of mobility on the recognition and prestige of publications, as well as on international collaboration networks. To improve the necessary assumptions prior to implementing the synthetic control and to enhance estimation accuracy, we introduce a matching technique as a pre-selection step for the synthetic control design, pairing control individuals equivalent to treated individuals based on pre-intervention observable variables. Finally, we apply the generalized synthetic control to estimate the causal effects of international mobility on the scientific output of mobile Brazilian researchers, comparing the impact on the number of citations received, SJR, and international collaborations after the first year of mobility with their respective synthetic authors. The results suggest that international mobility leads to changes in the analyzed variables, particularly for emigrant mobile researchers. This work provides guidance on the use of synthetic control in bibliometric data. Additionally, the study offers insights for the development of science internationalization policies. The method we employed can also be applied to study the effects of international mobility in other fields of knowledge.

Suggested Citation

  • Leonardo Biazoli & Bruna Paula Fonseca & Mine Çetinkaya-Rundel & Eric Araújo & Izabela Regina Cardoso Oliveira, 2025. "International mobility boosts scientific careers: a synthetic control analysis of Brazilian researchers," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 130(5), pages 3029-3051, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:130:y:2025:i:5:d:10.1007_s11192-025-05327-w
    DOI: 10.1007/s11192-025-05327-w
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11192-025-05327-w
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11192-025-05327-w?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.

    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:spr:scient:v:130:y:2025:i:5:d:10.1007_s11192-025-05327-w. 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.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    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.