Collaboration strategies for publishing articles in international journals - A study of Polish scientists in economics

This study investigates the importance of co-authorship ego-networks to scientific performance. In particular, the focus is on Polish researchers in economics, who need 'catch-up strategies' to aid them in publishing papers in international journals. Brokerage is identified as one of the most important correlatives of publishing success. However, in many cases, the best performers are smart collaborators who take advantage of the benefits of both bridging and bonding social capital. In general, co-authorship itself does not provide an advantage. Instead, a proper collaboration strategy appears to be more important. Additionally, embeddedness of authors within their affiliations should be considered.