Editage Insights Editage Insights
Log In/Register Submit Enquiry
Editage Insights
  • Publication Success
    • Academic Editing Services
    • Publication Support Services
    • Translation Services
    • Statistical Analysis and Review Services
  • Research Journey
    • Conducting Research
      • Research Data Management
      • Publication Planning
    • Manuscript Writing
      • Academic Writing
      • Research Paper Structure
    • Journal Selection
      • Choosing a Journal
      • Publication Models
    • Journal Submission & Peer Review
      • Manuscript Submission
      • Tracking Your Submission
      • Journal Rejection
      • Journal Retraction
  • Career Growth
    • Securing Research Funding
      • Funding Sources
      • Grant Application
    • Science Communication
      • Public Engagement
      • Plain Language Summaries
      • Video & Graphical Abstracts
      • Promoting your Research
    • Professional Development
      • Collaboration and networking
      • Presentation skills
      • Project Management
    • Career Advancement
      • Becoming a Peer Reviewer
      • Career Advice for Researchers
  • Mental Health
    • Mental Health in Academia
      • Research Culture
      • Researcher Wellness
    • Stories by Researchers
  • Q & A
  • Training Resources
    • WEBINARS & WORKSHOPS
    • Downloadables
  • Industry Outlook
    • AI & Digital Transformation
    • Maximizing Impact
    • Research Integrity
    • Researcher Engagement
    • Trends in Scholarly Publishing
  • Submit Enquiry
  1. Home
  2. Industry Trends
  3. Trends in collaboration…

Trends in collaboration and R&D investment: Overview of Science & Engineering Indicators report

This article is in
  • Industry Trends

  • Sneha Kulkarni

    Feb 10, 2016

Reading time
2 mins
 Trends in collaboration and R&D investment: Overview of Science & Engineering Indicators report

Globally, science and technology is making great strides. Remarkably, developing nations are fast catching up with the developed nations in terms of R&D investment, technological advances, research output, and research outreach. To map these changes and understand the latest trends across the world, the US National Science Foundation (NSF) put together a report Science & Engineering Indicators 2016 that was released in January 2016. This detailed report serves as a resource for federal agencies to design policies and understand the leanings of various nations when it comes to research. Let’s take a look at some of the most significant highlights of the report.

Global R&D investment has increased

Worldwide, the expenditure on R&D came up to an estimated $1.671 trillion in 2013, which means it has doubled in the last decade; the figure in 2003 was $836 billion. The expenditure of United States forms 27% share of the global total, making it the leading nation in terms of R&D performance. China comes a close second with 20% of the global share, totaling $336.5 billion. Its investment is almost equivalent to the total investment by the European Union. The countries that form the next tier in terms of R&D investment are Japan, Germany, South Korea, Russia, the UK, and India.   

Collaborations are on the rise

The statistics show a tremendous spurt in collaborations. According to the report, “The percentage of publications with authors from different countries rose from 13.2% to 19.2% between 2000 and 2013.” Increased R&D expenditure, improvement in communication technology, a growing number of trained researchers are deemed to be the pillars behind increased collaborative projects. The field of astronomy reflects the highest number of collaborative ventures with half of its publications having international coauthors. Remarkably, US authors collaborate most frequently with Chinese authors: 18.7% of U.S. international publications have coauthors from China. On the other hand, China and Canada have unusually high percentages of U.S. participation in their own internationally coauthored publications (45.6% and 44.4%, respectively).

East and Southeast Asia is making exponential progress

East and Southeast Asia is turning into a hub of scientific development, joining the ranks of North America and Europe. The R&D spending in this region has accounted for about one-third of the global increase in R&D spending over the 2003–2013 period. While in 2013, the U.S. had an R&D intensity of 2.7%, Israel and South Korea had a ratio of 4.2%. Moreover, South Korea and Taiwan have experienced rapid growth in patenting and in intellectual property exports, and the resulting income gained in these regions has increased over the decade.

Developing nations are advancing faster than developed nations

Developing nations tend to reflect rapid growth rate, which is typical at early stages of economic and technical development. In comparison, developed nations tend to show a slower pace of growth. This allows the developing nations to get closer to the developed nations in terms of progress rate, a trend that is clearly reflected when one looks at the progress China has made in a decade in its R&D investment, science and engineering output (its share being larger than that of the U.S.), and global share of publication (tripled from 6% in 2003 to 18% in 2013). Other developing nations that have made promising progress include India and Brazil.

New knowledge flow and citation patterns are emerging

Knowledge flow can be observed by looking at the citation patterns of various regions. The factors that influence these patterns are culture, geography, and language ties, and perceived impact. Predictably, U.S. publications receive the maximum number of citations, most of which are cited by Canadian and United Kingdom authors. The report observes that while researchers are most likely to cite a work in their native language, they often make references to works published by foreign researchers.

Discussing the report, Dan Arvizu, chairman of the National Science Board, observes that, “The scientific landscape is increasingly multipolar.” With collaborations on the rise and the emergence of new citation and knowledge flow patterns, the world of science and research is clearly undergoing a huge transformation. Policy makers, institutions, and funding bodies would have to consider these factors when making decisions about grants, funding, and collaboration.  

Author

Sneha Kulkarni

Sneha’s interest in the communication of research led her to her current role of developing and designing content for researchers and authors.

See more from Sneha Kulkarni

Found this useful?

If so, share it with your fellow researchers

View Comments

Related post

Learn what is a graphical abstract and how to make it effective
Video & Graphical Abstracts

What is a Graphical Abstract? Tips to...

August 15, 2024
Sharing credit among authors of research papers: The CRediT taxonomy
Authorship in Research Submission Process

Sharing credit among authors of research papers:...

August 18, 2023
6 Tips for PIs to motivate their teams and creating a positive workplace culture
Collaboration and networking Research Culture

How PIs can motivate their teams and...

April 20, 2023

Related Reading

  • Indonesia publishes the most open-access journals in the world: what it means for local research

    Indonesia publishes the most open-access journals in the world: what it means for local research
  • Dear academia, it’s time to THINK!

    Dear academia, it’s time to THINK!
  • To share or not to share: What motivates researchers to share their data?

    lthough most researchers agree that data sharing is the scientific ideal, there exists a widespread skepticism regarding making their data publicly accessible.
  • How outcome switching is rendering clinical trials meaningless

    Outcome switching in clinical trials
  • Last week in scholarly publishing

    Last week in scholarly publishing

About Editage Insights

Editage Insights offers a wealth of free academic research and publishing resources and is a one-stop guide for authors and others involved in scholarly publishing. Our original resources for authors and journals will help you become an expert in academic publishing. Register for comprehensive research tips and expert advice on English writing, journal publishing, good publication practices, trends in publishing, and a lot more.

More

Quality

  • Confidentiality
  • Publication Ethics
  • Quality Assurance
  • Testimonials

Editage

  • About Editage
  • Payment Options
  • Prices for Editing
  • Terms of Use

More

  • Become a Member
  • Contribute as a Guest
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies Policy
  • Contact Us

Publication Support Services

  • Artwork Preparation
  • Journal Selection
  • Journal Submission
  • Plagiarism Check
  • Publication Support Packs
  • Rapid Technical Review
  • Resubmission Support
  • Statistical Analysis and Review

Our Expertise

  • Business and Economics
  • Life Sciences
  • Medical Sciences
  • Physical Sciences
  • Social Sciences

Subscribe

  Read Editage Insights in your favorite RSS Reader.

Follow Editage on social platforms

Editage Insights Global Sites

Japanese – エディテージ・インサイト

Simplified Chinese – 意得辑专家视点

Korean - 에디티지 인사이트

Editing Services

  • Advanced Editing
  • Digital Editing
  • English Editing Services
  • Post-Editing Services
  • Premium Editing
  • Scientific Editing

Full disclosure: Editage Insights is a product of Editage, a global provider of world-class scientific communication solutions. Editage Insights is funded by Editage and endorses services provided by Editage but is editorially independent. English Editing - Editage.com | 英文校正 – Editage.jp | 원어민영문교정 – Editage.co.kr | SCI英文论文发表 – Editage.cn | publicação de artigos – Editage.com.br | 編輯英文 – Editage.com.tw

Copyright Cactus Communications. All rights reserved.
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Careers

Filter by a topic

or Select all topics
x
  • Books & Tools
  • Career Growth
    • Career Advancement
      • Becoming a Peer Reviewer
      • Career Advice for Researchers
    • Professional Development
      • Collaboration and networking
      • Presentation skills
      • Project Management
    • Science Communication
      • Plain Language Summaries
      • Promoting your Research
      • Public Engagement
      • Video & Graphical Abstracts
    • Securing Research Funding
      • Funding Sources
      • Grant Application
  • Conducting Research
    • Publication Planning
      • Authorship in Research
      • Literature Search
      • Planning to Write
      • Research Ethics
      • Statement of the Problem
    • Research Data Management
      • Data Analysis
      • Data Storage & Management
  • Industry Outlook
    • AI & Digital Transformation
    • Maximizing Impact
    • Research Integrity
    • Researcher Engagement
    • Trends in Scholarly Publishing
  • Journal Selection
    • Choosing a Journal
      • Journal Selection Tips
      • Presubmission Inquiry
      • Understanding the Impact Factor
    • Publication Models
      • Avoiding Predatory Publishers
      • Open Access & Subscription Models
      • Rapid Publication
  • Journal Submission & Peer Review
    • Journal Rejection
      • Dealing with Rejection
      • Reasons for Rejection
    • Journal Retraction
      • Dealing with Retraction
      • Reasons for Retraction
    • Manuscript Submission
      • Duplicate Submission
      • Ethical Declarations
      • Submission Process
    • Responding to Peer Reviewers
      • Basics of Peer Review
      • Responding to Peer Reviewers
    • Tracking Your Submission
      • Manuscript Status
      • Manuscript Withdrawal
      • Queries to the Editor
  • Manuscript Writing
    • Academic Writing
      • Grammar & Language
      • Plagiarism in Research
      • Style & Format
    • Research Paper Structure
      • Methods
      • Publication Support Services
      • References & Acknowledgements
      • Results & Discussion
      • Study Background & Introduction
      • Tables & Figures
      • Title, Abstract & keywords
  • Mental Health
    • Mental Health in Academia
      • Research Culture
      • Researcher Wellness
  • More
    • News & Trends
      • COVID-19
      • Industry Interviews
      • Industry News
      • Industry Trends
      • Peer Review Week 2020
      • Trending Research
    • Recommended Reads
      • Around the web
      • Our Publication Showcase
      • Resources for Editors
  • Researchers and Their Stories
  • Showcasing Research Impact