# Democratic Governance and International Research Collaboration: A Longitudinal Analysis of the Global Science Network

**Authors:** Travis A. Whetsell  
**arXiv:** [2203.01827](https://arxiv.org/abs/2203.01827)  
**Date:** 2022-02-27  
**Summary page:** https://www.summarizepaper.com/en/paper/2203.01827v3/

## Key points

- 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

## Summary

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.