The Evolution of International Scientific Collaboration in Fuel Cells during 1998–2017: A Social Network Perspective

Abstract

International scientific collaboration has played an important role in the development of fuel cell technology. In this paper, we employ bibliometric methods and social network analysis to explore the patterns and dynamics of scientific collaboration network of fuel cells. A total of 20,358 international collaborative publications in the fuel cell field published during 1998–2017 were collected from Web of Science. We use a series of indicators to address multiple facets of research collaboration and evolution patterns. Results show that international collaboration has been increasing and the characteristics of the scientific network have changed over time. The collaboration network presented a highly uneven distribution, while the sign of decline began to show. The trend of consolidation was presented with one cluster around North America–Asia, one around Europe, and a small emerging collaborating cluster around West Asia. European and North American countries had relatively higher international collaboration rate than Asian countries but lower publishing volume. Two modes of international collaboration exist: Germany, France and UK collaborate with a wide range of countries, while Singapore, Australia, South Korea and Taiwan concentrate on collaborating with few main countries. Microbial fuel cell had developed as a new prominent area in the international collaboration, and the most popular catalysts were nanoparticle and graphene/carbon nanotubes. This study presents a picture of international collaboration from multi-dimension view and provides insights in facilitating more vigorous collaborations in fuel cells.