International scientific collaboration between Australia and China : a mixed-methodology for investigating the social processes and its implications for national innovation systems

This article is based on a study of international scientific collaboration between Australia and China. The analytical approach adopted for this research takes the concept of scientific and technical human capital (STHC) as a starting point and seeks to explain the role and the extent to which collaboration networks can be utilized as a potential source for gaining access to flows of knowledge, that contribute to both building research careers and strengthening national innovation systems (NISs). The study is based on a combination of bibliometric analysis and interviews. The bibliometric analysis indicates that international scientific collaboration between the two countries has expanded rapidly, from just four co-authored papers in 1981 to 2,040 in 2010. The interviews suggest that a framework of exchange can be used as an approach to explain the underlying dynamics of collaboration. The findings suggest that augmenting the information base with qualitative data helps toward a more comprehensive understanding of science, technology and innovation (ST&I) dynamics. This has potential implications for the formulation of future policies with respect to STHC.