The Global Evolution of Scientific Collaboration Networks Between Cities (1999–2014): Multiple Scales

For years, studies of scientific activity have shown an increase in international collaboration. This observation has given rise to various generalizations based on the assumption of a gradual globalization leading to the eradication of national contexts in favour of specialized international networks. In this article we re-examine this issue based on all the publications compiled in the “Web of Science” database between 1999 and 2014. Analysis of these data highlights the phenomenon of a growth in collaboration that encourages both internationalization and increased density of national and local networks to the detriment of non-collaborative publications; this holds for all disciplines. Thus for research, international exchanges do not conflict with national contexts and language or cultural areas, but connect to them. Similarly, the increased density of national science city networks contradicts the hypothesis of the increased centrality of so-called major international agglomerations and presents a more diverse picture of the development of global scientific activity.