International research collaboration in small and big science: Comparing global research output between biofuels and neutron scattering

We investigate patterns of international research collaboration in two different fields: biofuels, and neutron scattering. We use bibliometric analysis with data retrieved from the Science Citation Index, through Web of Science from 2003 through 2008. We find that international collaboration in relation to the number of publications in the field is more intense in neutron scattering than in biofuels. Moreover, international teams in neutron scattering include more countries than is the case in biofuels. We also find that publications in biofuels have increased faster among some of the BRIC (Brazil, India, China) countries than among the U.S. and European countries. In neutron scattering publications remain concentrated in more developed countries. The U.S. remains the leader in scientific production in both fields. The emergence of developing countries as producers of science in biofuels suggests opportunities for North-South collaboration in research.