Results of the summarizing process for the arXiv paper: 2203.01827v3

The relationship between democracy and science has long been debated through philosophical conjecture and single country case studies. However, limited global scale empirical research exists on the topic. In this study, Travis A. Whetsell explores country-level factors that affect the dynamics of the global scientific research collaboration network, with a focus on structural associations between democratic governance and the formation, persistence, and strength of international research collaboration ties. Using longitudinal data from 2008 to 2017 from various sources such as the Varieties of Democracy Institute, World Bank Indicators, Scopus, and Web of Science bibliometric data, Whetsell employs temporal and weighted exponential random graph models (ERGM) for analysis. The results suggest positive significant effects of democratic governance on international research collaboration and homophily between countries with similar levels of democratic governance. Moreover, the study highlights the importance of exogenous economic, population, and geo-political factors in shaping international research collaborations. Endogenous network factors such as preferential attachment and transitivity also play a crucial role in determining the strength of these collaborations. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into how democratic governance impacts international scientific collaborations at a global level. It reveals how various external and internal factors shape these collaborations over time by providing evidence for positive effects of democratic governance on international research collaboration networks as well as highlighting other influential factors involved in their formation.

• The relationship between democracy and science has been debated through philosophical conjecture and single country case studies
• Limited global scale empirical research exists on the topic
• Travis A. Whetsell explores country-level factors that affect the dynamics of the global scientific research collaboration network, with a focus on structural associations between democratic governance and international research collaboration ties
• Longitudinal data from 2008 to 2017 from various sources such as the Varieties of Democracy Institute, World Bank Indicators, Scopus, and Web of Science bibliometric data was used for analysis
• Positive significant effects of democratic governance on international research collaboration were found
• Homophily between countries with similar levels of democratic governance was observed
• Exogenous economic, population, and geo-political factors play a crucial role in shaping international research collaborations
• Endogenous network factors such as preferential attachment and transitivity also play a crucial role in determining the strength of these collaborations

Exploring the Relationship between Democracy and Science: A Global Scale Analysis

The relationship between democracy and science has long been a subject of debate, with philosophical conjecture and single country case studies providing insight into the matter. However, limited empirical research exists on the topic at a global scale. In this study, Travis A. Whetsell explores country-level factors that affect the dynamics of the global scientific research collaboration network, with a focus on structural associations between democratic governance and international research collaborations.

Data Sources and Methodology

To analyze this relationship, Whetsell used longitudinal data from 2008 to 2017 from various sources such as the Varieties of Democracy Institute, World Bank Indicators, Scopus, and Web of Science bibliometric data. He employed temporal and weighted exponential random graph models (ERGM) for analysis in order to measure how different factors influence international research collaborations over time.

Findings

The results suggest positive significant effects of democratic governance on international research collaboration networks as well as homophily between countries with similar levels of democratic governance. Moreover, exogenous economic, population, and geo-political factors were found to be influential in shaping these collaborations over time while endogenous network factors such as preferential attachment and transitivity also had an impact on their strength.

Conclusion

Overall, this study provides valuable insights into how democratic governance impacts international scientific collaborations at a global level by providing evidence for positive effects of democratic governance on these networks as well as highlighting other influential factors involved in their formation. It reveals how various external and internal factors shape these collaborations over time which can help inform policy makers when considering strategies for promoting global scientific collaboration networks in future endeavors.