The Rise of Academic Nomadism: How Multiple Affiliations are Reshaping Higher Education
"Explore the increasing trend of researchers holding positions at multiple institutions and its implications for the future of science and academia."
Universities and research institutions play a vital role in shaping scientific advancements. These institutions control access to critical resources, networks, and infrastructure. This not only impacts the work of researchers, but also significantly influences the value society places on their contributions. Academic success and career progression are heavily influenced by the prestige associated with the institutions a researcher is affiliated with. Science policy, through international rankings and performance-based funding, further intensifies this emphasis on institutional affiliation.
The heightened importance of institutional affiliations is leading to a notable trend: academics are increasingly associating with multiple institutions, reporting these affiliations in their published work. While the concept of multiple affiliations, or co-affiliations, has existed for some time, where researchers are formally connected to more than one institution simultaneously, the phenomenon is largely understudied. This trend raises questions about the changing dynamics within academia, the motivations behind researchers seeking multiple affiliations, and the potential consequences for science and higher education.
This article delves into the growing trend of multiple institutional affiliations in academia, drawing on a comprehensive analysis of research publications from 40 countries over a 24-year period. It explores the extent of this phenomenon, the reasons driving its growth, and its implications for research, science policy, and the structure of academic institutions. The analysis considers international differences, particularly in how multiple affiliations are influenced by competitive funding structures and excellence initiatives.
The Data: Unveiling the Scale of Multiple Affiliations
To understand the prevalence and nature of multiple affiliations, a large-scale bibliometric analysis was conducted, utilizing affiliation data from over 15 million authors across 40 countries. The study examined over 22 million research articles published between 1996 and 2019, covering 26 distinct scientific fields. This extensive dataset provides a detailed view of how multiple affiliations have evolved over time and across different regions and disciplines.
- Increasing Prevalence: In 2019, almost one in three articles were co-authored by individuals with multiple affiliations.
- Growth Over Time: The proportion of authors with multiple affiliations has risen from approximately 10% in 1996 to 16% in 2019.
- Consistent Across Fields: This growth is observed across all scientific fields.
- Stronger in High-Impact Journals: The trend is particularly pronounced in high-impact journals, indicating a strategic emphasis on affiliations for visibility and prestige.
- Academic Focus: Roughly 60% of multiple affiliations are within the academic sector.
- International Collaboration: International co-affiliations account for about a quarter of all multiple affiliations.
The Bigger Picture: Reassessing Success in Academia
The trend towards multiple academic affiliations calls for a re-evaluation of how we measure institutional success and individual achievement in science. Policymakers and academic leaders must acknowledge the complex realities of modern research, where collaborations and distributed expertise are increasingly common. Rather than simply counting affiliations, evaluations should consider the quality of contributions and the impact of research, regardless of where it originates. This shift can foster a more equitable and accurate assessment of scientific progress, encouraging collaboration while recognizing the diverse ways researchers contribute to the advancement of knowledge.