Dynamics of breast imaging research : a global scoping review and Sino-Australian comparison case study

This study presents a quantitative analysis of global breast imaging research over the last eight decades. A dedicated Sino-Australian case study via a social network analysis (SNA) is included as China and Australia have a recent rapidly increasing number of research partnerships and strategic education/economic connections. Bibliographic data was extracted via Scopus and analysed for the social network parameters of degree centrality, closeness centrality, betweenness centrality and multiple cohesion measures in order to explore research collaboration networks at the organisational level. Within the last three decades there has been a tremendous increase in the publication rate within the scientific domain of breast imaging research, however, there is a significant lag in the development of this research area in China compared with Australia. Breast imaging research in China is considerably more insular, with less international collaboration and reduced variation between collaborators than Australia. The impact of national breast screening programs and novel cancer technologies upon collaboration networks is discussed alongside the ability of networks paradigm to reveal both frailties in research connections and to highlight networking strategies.