Collaboration behaviour of Berlin life science researchers in the last two decades of the twentieth century as reflected in the Science Citation Index

Abstract

Coming together to get publishable research results is not always a simple task. There can be geographical, cultural, disciplinary and political barriers, which have to be overcome. The Berlin Wall was such a barrier. After its fall in November 1989 Berlin scientists changed their collaboration behaviour. Research groups in East Berlin went West to look for partners and vice versa. The numbers of papers in life science journals with co-authors working in Berlin and co-authors in other places are discussed against the background of the international trend to more and more collaboration in science.