Global Research Report on Australia and New Zealand
Did New Zealand and Australia meet their respective research agendas? Thomson Reuters tracks a continued strength in earth science, environment, and biology—yet both are slipping in global output as other nations begin to share the same priorities.
A new report from Thomson Reuters looks at research in New Zealand and Australia. Both show continued strength in earth science, environment, and biology, but have key differences in research concentration and global collaborations.
The study, Global Research Report: Australia and New Zealand, found that collaboration within the Asia Pacific region is notably changing. Though collaboration with Australia among some Asia Pacific nations (such as New Zealand, India, and Singapore) increased, and collaboration with China doubled (rising from 2.3 percent to 4.4 percent of all Australian outputs), collaboration with Japan remained unchanged. Likewise, Japan's rank as a contributor of co-authored papers with New Zealand fell from sixth to eighth.
Other key findings include:
- Australia's share of world research publication output has grown steadily from 2.85 percent in 1999 to 3.18 percent in 2008.
- In the same period, the volume of Australian publications has risen annually by an average of 5 percent—a growth rate higher than that of world publication averages.
- Computer science, materials science, environment/ecology, and clinical medicine are subject areas where Australia has increased its outputs, consistent with its national research priorities
- Subject areas that have grown in the volume of outputs in New Zealand are computer sciences, biology and biochemistry, immunology, and neurosciences and behavior, consistent with the country's government research, science and technology agenda.
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