title: [Co-authorship and Spanish pediatric scientific collaboration networks (2006-2010)].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Scientific collaboration is very important, as it is the basis of the scientific development of every discipline. The aim of this paper is to identify the indicators of scientific collaboration and co-authorship networks of Spanish researchers and institutions publishing in national and international paediatric, multidisciplinary or other knowledge areas journals during the period 2006-2010.
  
  
  METHODS
  The papers studied were obtained from the databases including, Science Citation Index Expanded, Scopus, Índice Médico Español and Índice Bibliográfico Español en Ciencias de la Salud, by means of applying different search profiles. All the papers signed by co-authors were quantified in order to identify the authorship and institutional collaboration networks. Furthermore the degree, betweenness index, and closeness index were obtained as a measurement of the structural analysis. Co-authorships were represented graphically by the network analysis and display software Pajek.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 7971 articles were published during the period 2006-2010, with 90.55% completed in collaboration. Using a threshold of 10 or more co-authorships, 77 research groups in Pediatrics were identified. Most papers were published in collaboration between institutions of the same Autonomous Community (42.28%), and 14.84% with international collaboration. The analysis of institutional participation enabled a large nucleus or institutional collaboration network to be identified, with 52 linked institutions. International collaboration was led by the USA and European countries, such as United Kingdom, Germany and Italy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Authors, institutions and the most active working groups in Spanish pediatrics were identified, which is very interesting information to establish contacts to increase the existing networks, to prevent redundancies, and to take advantage of the new emerging groups. It is necessary to promote the collaboration of Spanish researchers, especially with their international colleagues, since a positive relationship is found between international collaboration and quality and impact of publications measured by citation analysis.
authors: Unidad de Información e Investigación Social y Sanitaria, Universitat de València- Centro Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Instituto de Historia de la Medicina y de la Ciencia (IHMC) López Piñero, Valencia, España.
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Aleixandre Benavent
authors: J
authors: J
authors: González de Dios
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Alonso Arroyo
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Bolaños Pizarro
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Castelló Cogollos
authors: G
authors: G
authors: González Alcaide
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Vidal Infer
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Navarro Molina
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Coronado Ferrer
authors: M
authors: M
authors: González Muñoz
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Málaga Guerrero
mesh_terms: D001319:Authorship; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D010372:Pediatrics; D011643:Publishing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013030:Spain; D013997:Time Factors