01415nas a2200121   4500000000100000008004100001260003400042100001300076700001100089245011100100520105700211022002501268       2024                            d  bOxford University Press (OUP)1 aLópez E1 aArza V00aThe role of thematic specialization in international scientific collaboration: the case of Chagas research3 a<p>Scientists are increasingly specializing to manage the vast knowledge bases within their domains, making knowledge-sharing strategies essential for scientific progress. Among these strategies, international scientific collaboration has increased markedly. We analyse the role of thematic specialization as one of its drivers in the context of Chagas research, a neglected disease. Since there is a strong research tradition in Latin America on this topic, it is an interesting context to study centre-periphery research dynamics. Using a novel bibliometric database on Chagas research during 1990–2019, we exploit its panel structure in a gravity-type econometric model. The findings show that the degree of specialization and its proximity among partners boost joint publications. Both effects are particularly important for country dyads involving authors from the periphery linked to authors in the centre. This paper is the first empirical study to assess the role of specialization as a driver of international scientific collaboration.</p>
  a0302-3427, 1471-5430