Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Cooperation structure, group size and productivity in research groups

  • Published:
Scientometrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A research group is considered to be a system and the scientists the elements in this system. The degree of interaction among scientists is determined by means of a complex structure measure for groups. It is shown that optimum cooperation structures depend on group size. In addition, it was possible to determine an optimum group size. Various hypotheses have been verified employing the same data material by using several levels of the structure measure.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. J. E. COHEN, Publication rate as a function of laboratory size in a biomedical research institution.Scientometrics, 2 (1980) 35–52.

    Google Scholar 

  2. J. T. WALLMARK, S. ECKERSTEIN, B. LANGERED, H. E. S. HOLMQVIST, The increase in efficiency with size of research teams, in:IEEE Trans, Eng. Manag., Vol. EM-20, No. 3, August, 1973, pp. 80–86. These authors define efficiency as the ratio of the number of references to the team size.

  3. M. M. QURASHI,The Mechanics of R & D and Technology Transfer, Pakistan Academy of Sciences. No. 34, Street 32, Shalimar 7/1, Islamabad

  4. R. STANKIEWICZ,Leadership and the performance of research groups. RPI Research Policy Institute, University of Lund, 1980.

  5. H. KRETSCHMER, Representation of a Complex Structure Measure for Social Groups and its Application to the Structure of Citations in a Journal.Scientometrics 5 (1983) 5–30.

    Google Scholar 

  6. R. D. WHITLEY, Kommunikationsnetze in der Wissenschaft. Status und Zitierungsmuster in der Tierphysiologie in: P. WEINGART, Hrsg.,Wissenschaftssoziologie II, Athenäum Fischer, Frankfurt/Main, 1974.

    Google Scholar 

  7. D. C. PELZ, F. M. ANDREWS,Scientists in Organizations, Rev. ed. Ann Arbor, Michigan, Institute for Social Research, The University of Michigan, 1976,

  8. S. D. HAITUN,Naukometria. Sostoyanie i perspektivy, Izdatelstvo Nauka, Moscow, 1983.

    Google Scholar 

  9. H. M. SCHRODER, M. J. DRIVER, S. STREUFERT,Menschliche Informationsverarbeitung, Weinheim, Basel, 1975.

    Google Scholar 

  10. J. E. COHEN, Publication rate as a function of laboratory size in three biomedical research institutions,Scientometrics, 3 (1981) 467–487.

    Google Scholar 

  11. J. E. COHEN, Statistical Theory Aids Inference in Scientometrics,Scientrometrics, 6 (1984) 27.

    Google Scholar 

  12. M. M. QURASHI, Publication rate as a function of the laboratory/group size,Scientometrics 6 (1984) 19.

    Google Scholar 

  13. P. A. P. MORAN, Partial and multiple rank correlation,Biometrika, 38 (1951) 26–31.

    Google Scholar 

  14. P. B. SCHELISCHTSCH,Dinamika nauki, Lenignrad' Nauka', Leningradskoye otdelenija, 1981.

    Google Scholar 

  15. R.-L. WINKLER, Zu Kooperationsformen in Forschungsgruppen, Akademie der Wissenschaften der DDR. Institut für Theorie, Geschichte und Organisation der Wissenschaft,Studien und Forschungsberichte. Teil I, 1977.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Theory, History and Organization of Science, Academy of Sciences of the GDR, Prenzlauer Promenade 149-152, DDR-1100, Berlin, (GDR)

    Hildrun Kretschmer

Authors
  1. Hildrun Kretschmer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kretschmer, H. Cooperation structure, group size and productivity in research groups. Scientometrics 7, 39–53 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02020140

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02020140

Keywords

Search

Navigation