Scientific collaboration in China as reflected in co-authorship

Co-authorship patterns derived from 1997-2001 data in the CSTPC Database (Chinese Science and Technology Papers and Citations Database) are analyzed to show the status of science and technology collaboration in China. Four different collaborative types, namely papers co-authored by the authors in the same institution (SI), in different institution located in the same region (SR), in different regions (DR) of China, and in different countries or regions of the world (DC) are discussed, The regional and subject distributions of co-authored papers as well as the general status of collaboration in science and technology in China are studied. It is concluded that, for all four collaborative types, collaboration in science and technology has increased in China. Different regions have different collaborative patterns corresponding to economic, technological and scientific development levels. Differences in collaborative patterns in terms of subjects are explained by different characteristics of the subjects themselves.