International co-authorship and research team performance in Colombia

Recent trends show that Colombian S&T performance is improving rapidly. This paper examines the ways in which International Scientific Collaboration, as observed by the co-authorship of journal articles written by local scientists and partners located overseas, affects the ability of research teams to produce bibliographic outputs and to contribute to local knowledge. A sample of 672 teams was randomly selected for the analyses. Research hypotheses were tested using Zero Inflated Negative Binomial Regression and Logistic regression, as well as through the use of control groups and the Propensity Score Matching approach to assess the overall impact of the scientific collaboration on research team performance. In addition, 20 interviews with experts and team members were administered to discuss models and results. Results show that co-authoring with partners located overseas increases team output by nearly 40% and by between 3 and 5 bibliographic products. It also shows that team's odds of involving Colombia in its research process are 2.2 times larger for those co-authoring with a partner located overseas than for those that do not. Theoretical and policy implications are discussed!.

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