Collaborative Knowledge Production in China: Regional Evidence from a Gravity Model Approach

SCHERNGELL T. and HU Y. Collaborative knowledge production in China: regional evidence from a gravity model approach, Regional Studies. This study investigates collaborative knowledge production in China from a regional perspective. The objective is to illustrate spatial patterns of research collaborations between thirty-one Chinese regions, and to estimate the impact of geographical, technological, and economic factors on the variation of cross-region collaboration activities within a negative binomial gravity model framework. Data are used on Chinese scientific publications from 2007 with multiple author addresses coming from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database. The results provide evidence that geographical space impedes cross-region research collaborations in China. Technological proximity matters more than geography, while economic effects only play a minor role.