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Scientific Competition between Countries: Did China Get What It Paid for?

Author

Listed:
  • Pierre Courtioux

    (CES - Centre d'économie de la Sorbonne - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • François Métivier

    (IPGP - Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris - INSU - CNRS - Institut national des sciences de l'Univers - UPD7 - Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 - UR - Université de La Réunion - IPG Paris - Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Antoine Reberioux

    (LADYSS - Laboratoire Dynamiques Sociales et Recomposition des Espaces - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - UP8 - Université Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint-Denis - UPN - Université Paris Nanterre - UPD7 - Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Abstract

This paper examines the rise of China's relative standing in the global academic science marketplace. We first develop a simple theoretical model, based on the aggregation of individual knowledge production functions. This model predicts the existence of a stable power (scaling) law, relating the world share of countries' scientific production to their world share of public investment in scientific research. We test and confirm this prediction, using bibliometric crosscountry longitudinal data for OECD and non-OECD countries, over the 1996-2015 period. This analysis allows for China's impressive catch-up, and for the West's decline to be accounted for, in the science marketplace, over the last two decades.

Suggested Citation

  • Pierre Courtioux & François Métivier & Antoine Reberioux, 2019. "Scientific Competition between Countries: Did China Get What It Paid for?," Post-Print halshs-02307534, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-02307534
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-02307534
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    2. Sarah Guillou & Basheer Kalash & Lionel Nesta & Michele Pezzoni & Evens Salies & Marc-Antoine Faure, 2023. "Impact de la nature du financement de la recherche sur ses résultats," SciencePo Working papers Main hal-04026916, HAL.
    3. Jesús Cebrino & Silvia Portero de la Cruz, 2020. "A worldwide bibliometric analysis of published literature on workplace violence in healthcare personnel," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(11), pages 1-16, November.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Economics of science; knowledge production function; international ranking; Economie de la science; fonction de production de savoir; classements internationaux;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O38 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Government Policy
    • P5 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Comparative Economic Systems

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