The internationalization of Chinese social sciences research: publication, collaboration, and citation patterns in economics, education, and political science

Despite recent Chinese government policies aiming to balanceinternational and national publishing patterns, the enduringimpact on China’s global engagements, publications, andcollaborations remains uncertain. Analyzing 8,962 publicationsfrom Scopus between 2016 and 2020, the paper assessespublication, collaboration, and citation patterns among the top500 productive China-affiliated scholars within Economics,Education, and Political Science. Results indicate that publicationsare primarily in Western journals, with Political Science oftenfocusing on China-specific issues, suggesting potential ‘silos’. Co-authorship patterns show Western dominance, with diverseinternational collaborations in Education and Economics, butmore national-focused in Political Science. The paper concludeswith discussions on practical implications and study limitations.