News archive
Southeast Asian countries join forces for scientific strength
18 March 2021
Sandy Ong
Partnerships are a path to growth in research output.
Japan and South Korea pursue shared interests
18 March 2021
Ichiko Fuyuno
Despite political tensions, research ties are resilient.
Partnerships in progress
18 March 2021
Catherine Cheung, Tanner Maxwell, Catherine Armitage
Research alliances in Asia Pacific are shifting towards China.
Politics and the pandemic disrupt migration patterns in research
18 March 2021
Catherine Armitage
Researchers are watching how political and economic tensions between China and Australia will affect scientific collaborations.
Rising tide of China’s science lifts Asia-Pacific research
18 March 2021
Catherine Armitage
Thanks to huge investments in science, China is the region’s scientific growth engine and collaboration magnet
Call for human rights protections on emerging brain-computer interface technologies
16 March 2021
Leigh Dayton
Industry self-regulation is not enough, say AI researchers.
Why universities must seize the chance to help "reset" society
16 December 2020
Mark Dodgson and David Gann
Higher education institutions are the cradle of innovation and entrepreneurship. Their expertise is needed more than ever.
Network effect: visualizing AI connections in the natural sciences
10 December 2020
Bo Wu, Tanner Maxwell & Bec Crew
Collaborations on AI-related papers in journals tracked by the Nature Index reveal country strengths.
Sliced, diced and digested: AI-generated science ready in minutes
10 December 2020
Chris Woolston & Jeffrey M. Perkel
AI can decide which papers are worth reading, and condenses them to make the literature more accessible.
Four AI technologies that could transform the way we live and work
10 December 2020
Bill Condie & Leigh Dayton
From facial recognition to drug discovery, these emerging technologies are the ones to watch.
AI will change the world, so it’s time to change AI
10 December 2020
Tess Posner & Li Fei-Fei
To ensure that AI meets its potential as a transformative tool, it must be developed by a truly representative research community, say Tess Posner and Li Fei-Fei
Hope, fear and climate scientists
7 December 2020
Shipra Jain
Three generations of researchers look to the future.
Three tips to adapt grants and papers for non-native English readers
23 November 2020
Michael Erard
Writing guides often advise “Don’t write anything that you wouldn’t say.” Michael Erard, who trains researchers to write grants and academic papers, disagrees.
Nobel Prizes have a diversity problem even worse than the scientific fields they honor
8 October 2020
Marc Zimmer
This is a problem much larger than simply bias on the part of the Nobel selection committees – it’s systemic.
Post-pandemic, fieldwork faces a remote future
25 August 2020
Gemma Conroy
COVID-19 is forcing researchers to rethink ways of amassing data.
This scientific ‘power couple’ has one of the largest publishing networks in chemistry
18 August 2020
Hepeng Jia
How a supervisor-student pair forged a lasting collaboration.
How young researchers can create lasting industry partnerships
24 July 2020
Bec Crew
Don’t wait for universities to facilitate connections. Here’s how to find the right people on your own timeline.
When is a scientific collaboration unfair?
10 July 2020
Gemma Conroy
A study enlists the h-index to try to find out why some research partnerships fizzle.
How to collaborate using only email
11 June 2020
Andy Tay
Two climate researchers show how it’s done.This scientific ‘power couple’ has one of the largest publishing networks in biology
27 May 2020
Gemma Conroy
Their protein-saving techniques are in high demand.
Early career success: Nobel Prize winners are twice as productive from the start
12 May 2020
Gemma Conroy
The benefits of teamwork.
These materials scientists are a ‘power couple’ in the physical sciences
5 May 2020
Gemma Conroy
From rejected material to career-defining discovery.
Warning bell for cluster hiring of researchers as survey reveals lacklustre results
24 April 2020
Chris Woolston
The 'set and forget' approach dooms group hires.
How hundreds of thousands of volunteers are using their skills to boost coronavirus research
7 April 2020
Dyani Lewis
Initiatives like Folding@Home and #WirVsVirus allow volunteers to pitch in, wherever they are.
How previous outbreaks prepared researchers for coronavirus
25 February 2020
Jack Leeming
Scientists were ready with a “plug and play” protocol when COVID-19 hit.
What are fake interdisciplinary collaborations and why do they occur?
4 February 2020
Lianghao Dai
It's not always intentional.
Scientists must stand up for internationalism
31 January 2020
Michael Riordan
Nationalistic trends across the world threaten the cross-border cooperation that underlies scientific progress.
How to collaborate more effectively: 5 tips for researchers
28 January 2020
Andrea Aguilar
Participating in a collaborative effort can be extremely challenging. To get the most out of it, you need a strategic approach.
The push for interdisciplinary teams can lead to fake collaborations
10 January 2020
Gemma Conroy
Funding methods encourage dubious behaviours.
Three ways to collaborate on writing
10 January 2020
Jeffrey M. Perkel
Document-sharing tools for scientists.
Pairing with an influential co-author gives young researchers a career-long boost
7 January 2020
Bec Crew
A potential rankings hack for less prestigious universities.
Open software means kinder science
6 January 2020
Julia Stewart Lowndes
Its transformative power has improved my ability to analyze data and collaborate with other researchers.
Psychology looks to physics to solve replication crisis
6 January 2020
Jon Brock
What the CERN of psychology looks like.
How to map the right fit for knowledge sharing
29 November 2019
Lianghao Dai & Margarete Boos
Practical tips for effective interdisciplinary collaborations.
Physics, life sciences, genetics: three big players and their top partners
26 November 2019
Nature Index
Research is a global game, yet even for top collaborators, the closest partners are mainly local.
Despite political turmoil, global scientific collaboration continues to flourish
22 November 2019
Bec Crew
Connections prove resilient as researchers circumvent geopolitical obstacles.
How to manage a multi-author megapaper
22 November 2019
Jack Leeming
Large teams can produce more impactful work, but organizing a paper produced by many can be a major challenge.
Brexit shadow hangs over EU partnerships
21 November 2019
Mark Peplow
Uncertainty about the United Kingdom’s role in EU science is damaging research networks.
US-China science weathers political ill wind
21 November 2019
Chris Woolston
Despite government tensions, collaboration between the United States and China remains strong.
Which companies are riding the Chinese science boom?
12 November 2019
Gemma Conroy
Staying strong amidst the fray.
Frequent collaborators are less likely to produce replicable results
20 September 2019
Gemma Conroy
Stick with who you don't know.
Research returnees boost China’s scientific impact
18 September 2019
Dalmeet Singh Chawla
An unprecedented rise to world-class status.
How to run a successful citizen science project
9 August 2019
Gemma Conroy
Keeping participants involved can go a long way.
Top 5 corporate–academic collaborations in biomedical sciences
6 August 2019
Bec Crew
This is what success looks like.
Scientists collaborate more when disaster strikes
1 August 2019
Gemma Conroy
Teaming up when things fall apart.
Do the best academics fly more?
17 July 2019
Seth Wynes
As universities face increasing demands to reduce greenhouse emissions, they should look for ways to manage academic travel more efficiently.
The top 10 countries in research collaboration
12 July 2019
Bec Crew
This interactive visualization reveals the tightest pairs.
Don’t let your academic career determine your every move
26 June 2019
Eva Krockow
Should early career researchers be expected to relocate regularly in order to land a permanent job?
Japan's global connectors boost scientific research collaboration
24 March 2019
Catherine Armitage, David McNeill & Smriti Mallapaty
Six scientists whose transformative work reaches across borders.
Japanese universities test collaboration
21 March 2019
David McNeill
Insular institutions seek ways to better accommodate international research partners.
China's Belt and Road Initiative finds new research partners in Europe
11 January 2019
Marijk van der Wende & Robert Tijssen
Smaller member states are the beneficiaries of China's global trade and diplomacy project.
Europe pulls together in scientific union
9 August 2018
Catherine Armitage
Smaller countries rely more on regional collaborations than on domestic interaction.
Nature Index introduces multilateral collaboration score
28 June 2018
Catherine Armitage
A new measure accounts
for research collaboration within and between groups
Science in North Korea: How easing the nuclear stand-off might bolster research
2 May 2018
Richard Van Noorden
The isolated nation publishes fewer than 100 scholarly articles a year — but as political tensions thaw, researchers hope for greater collaboration.
Japan bets on science diplomacy
16 April 2018
Daniel Hurst
International collaborations are rising, but not enough to put Japan on the global researcher circuit.
Paper authorship goes hyper
30 January 2018
Smriti Mallapaty
A single field is behind the rise of thousand-author papers.
International collaborations growing fast
19 January 2018
Dalmeet Singh Chawla
More countries are taking part in cross-border partnerships, but inequality remains.
Scientists tainted by misconduct of former collaborators
21 December 2017
Dyani Lewis
The stigma has a punitive effect on citations for prior collaborators of fraudulent researchers.
Industry links boost research output
18 December 2017
Neil Savage
The top academic and corporate partners in the Nature Index
8 December 2017
Mark Zastrow
Help wanted: Industry seeks science alliances
7 December 2017
Katharine Gammon
Local, not global, links boost productivity
4 December 2017
Dalmeet Singh Chawla
There’s no substitute for physical proximity, say researchers.
Global research gaps thwart Ebola response
21 November 2017
Elie Dolgin
The lack of research institutes with links to Africa has scientists worried about the next Ebola outbreak.
Europe opens arms to post-Brexit research migrants
8 November 2017
Anna Petherick
For centuries a hub of ideas and trade, London is embracing ambitious developments to boost research and local connections, despite the uncertainty caused by Brexit.
Senior scholars stick together
6 November 2017
Hepeng Jia
Encouraging palaeontologists to stop hiding the bones
23 August 2017
Ivy Shih
New preprint services could bring niche scientific communities into the open.
Japan's strategy for growth highlights innovation
15 August 2017
Ichiko Fuyuno
Collaboration with companies will become more important in the government’s science and technology strategies.
Michael Sporn: A legacy of greater knowledge
10 August 2017
Elie Dolgin
For the love of discovery, a biochemist freely shared the research which laid the groundwork for widely-used drugs.
One small step in the thawing of China-US space relations
28 July 2017
Hepeng Jia
A Beijing DNA experiment boards the International Space Station.
UK-Indonesia partnership grows out of a conversation
27 July 2017
Dyna Rochmyaningsih
An encounter between two visiting social scientists at the University of Oxford was the catalyst for a unique partnership.
Charting China's rising dominance in science
21 July 2017
Nicky Phillips
The country's research contribution is continuing to overtake other nations.
The value of nostalgia in a land of upheaval
30 June 2017
Flynn Murphy
Psychology is an increasingly relevant discipline as the destabilizing effects of rapid social change take hold in China.
Better measures needed for research cooperation
23 June 2017
Anthea Lacchia
Researchers wrestle with a measure of collaboration increasingly used to assess the impact of their work.
Far-flung and thriving: prime time for Okinawa’s grand experiment
16 May 2017
Tim Hornyak
Japan's gambit to globalize its scientific research is paying dividends.
Japan's plan to cultivate more entrepreneurial scientists
10 May 2017
Ian Munroe
Although government efforts to encourage innovation face significant obstacles.
8 things scientists want from a collaboration
2 May 2017
Ivy Shih
New report identifies what can make or break a good international collaboration.
Historic co-authorships speed up editor handling times
24 April 2017
Anthea Lacchia
Journal editors tend to accept manuscripts written by prior collaborators more quickly.
How Todai is encouraging research spinoffs
11 April 2017
Ian Munroe
It was the first Japanese university to establish a venture capital firm.
US-Uganda partnership uncovers potential culprit in mysterious nodding syndrome
4 April 2017
Linda Nordling
International team publish landmark paper on debilitating form of childhood epilepsy.
UK-India research collaborations threatened by decline in student enrolments
15 March 2017
Anthea Lacchia
Years of groundwork underpins rise in research collaborations.
US supercomputer needs more people power
22 February 2017
Ivy Shih
A large computing network that has helped design cancer drug candidates and search for extra-terrestrial life is struggling to maintain its volunteer network.
Turbulent times for scientists with the 'wrong' papers
20 February 2017
Flynn Murphy
As Donald Trump’s bid to reinstate his travel ban failed last week, three Iranian scientists speak of their fears amid the uncertainty.
Research partnership improves life for vulnerable women
9 February 2017
Linda Nordling
A social welfare programme for women at risk of HIV has built trust between this vulnerable group and scientists seeking new treatments and a cure.
How Chinese and US researchers recreated a 5000-year-old beer recipe
13 January 2017
Yanli Wang
A discovery in an ancient Chinese pot would reveal one of the oldest records of beer production.
My corporate experiment - a scientist learns from business
16 December 2016
Sidonia Eckle
Academics can learn a lot from the corporate world.
Science has a problem giving credit where it’s due
12 December 2016
Smriti Mallapaty
Apportioning author credit in large collaborations is as problematic as the Nobel Prize’s rule of three.
The team of scientists finding new ways to develop drugs for kids with rare cancers
2 December 2016
Neil Savage
An encounter helped kick-start the development of new cancer drugs.
Does proximity play a role in science collaborations?
30 November 2016
Neil Savage
Proximity is just one factor driving the high number of collaborations between top performing institutes in the same city.
Partnerships between US and Chinese scientists surge
18 November 2016
Sujata Gupta
Collaboration trumps competition in city of love
17 November 2016
Barbara Casassus
Paris excels in intra-city collaborations but needs to look beyond its borders to increase research performance.
New data reveals universities in Tokyo are highly connected
17 November 2016
Tim Hornyak
The Japanese capital is a hub of local research collaborations.
Chinese and US researchers team up to study forests in a warming world
15 November 2016
Sujata Gupta
A new program is encouraging climate change research partnerships between two research powerhouses.
International research collaborations on the rise
15 November 2016
Ivy Shih
Growth in research partnerships was most pronounced in the life sciences.
New Zealand's 'Lord of the Rings' effect a boon for science
10 November 2016
Linda Vergnani
How to take a great idea beyond the lab
20 September 2016
Richard Middlemiss
A Scottish scientist reflects on how his team built the world's smallest gravity detector
UN brokers partnerships to tackle tropical diseases
13 September 2016
Annabel McGilvray
A UN agency is connecting big pharma with research groups to accelerate development of treatments for diseases such as malaria.
Rising stars: Baylor, the best medicine
25 July 2016
James Mitchell Crow, Mark Zastrow
BCM’s contribution to high-quality research rose 39% from 2012 to 2015.
How Brexit may impact Britain's top research universities
30 June 2016
Some UK universities may be affected more than others.
China's diaspora key to science collaborations
23 June 2016
Peng Tian
Links formed by mainland China's large scientific diaspora and its increasing output of high-quality research make it an emerging centre of international collaboration.
Shared knowledge is key to a kingdom
6 June 2016
Nadia El-Awady
International collaboration is yielding major breakthroughs and an increase in quality output.
Canadian researchers do more with less
2 June 2016
Brian Owens
Growing participation in large international research projects may explain the drop in Canada's index performance.
Paris, a tight-knit research community
26 May 2016
Proximity can be a strong factor in research partnerships
What does industry contribute to the world's best research?
19 May 2016
The Nature Index tracks corporations who publish in top journals.
How the world's largest mosquito genome project was almost derailed
12 May 2016
Sarah O’Meara
A collaborative study included in the Nature Index required the coordinated efforts of more than 130 researchers from around the world.
An unlikely alliance
14 April 2016
Peng Tian
More than 20 researchers at China's genomics giant BGI got their PhD in Denmark.
Could a 'Brexit' impact UK research partnerships?
11 April 2016
Brazil's Russian connection
5 April 2016
Linda Nordling
A handful of influential professors are behind research partnerships between Russia and Brazil.
How a disparate team found the world's oldest stone tools
1 April 2016
Mark Zastrow
The incredible story behind a remarkable discovery.
"The trend transforming science" - Jonathan Adams
16 March 2016
Jonathan Adams and Tamar Loach
The small but focused snapshot of research afforded by the Nature Index helps fine-tune analysis of global scientific collaboration, say Jonathan Adams and Tamar Loach.
