Science from the periphery: Collaboration, networks and 'periphery effects' in the citation of New Zealand Crown Research Institutes articles, 1995-2000

While collaboration is associated with higher article citation rates, a body of research has suggested that this is, in part, related to the access to a larger social network and the increased visibility of research this entails, rather than simply a reflection of greater quality. We examine the role of networks in article citation rates by investigating article publication by the nine New Zealand Government-owned Crown Research Institutes (CRIs), drawing on the Science Citation Index. We analyse an aggregate data set of all CRI publications with duplicates removed, and, in addition, investigate each CRI. We find that a greater number of authors, countries and institutions involved in co-publication increases expected citation rates, although there are some differences between the CRIs. However, the type of co-publication affects the expected citation rates. We discover a periphery effect where greater levels of co-publication with domestic institutions decreases expected citation rates. We conclude that scientists working on the periphery looking to increase the visibility of their research should strive to link their research to the international research community, particularly through co-publication with international authors.