Local, domestic and international scientific collaboration in biomedical research

Collaboration practices and pacers vary greatly per scientific area and discipline and influence the scientific performance. Bibliometric indicators are used to analyse international, domestic and local collaboration in publications of Spanish authors in three Biomedical subfields: Neurosciences, Gastroenterology and Cardiovascular System as covered by the SCI database. Team size, visibility and basic-applied level of research were analysed according to collaboration scope. International collaboration was linked to higher visibility documents. Cluster analysis of the most productive authors and centres provides a description of collaboration habits and actors in the three subfields. A positive correlation was found between productivity and international and domestic collaboration at the author level.