Research has evolved and changed over the past decade. Knowledge is the root to good research, however, with global distribution of scientific inputs, more and more research works are flooding the academic field. International journal publications hence require multiple citations, which consequently require multiple authors. There is a famous saying- Walking singular makes you a fool, when together, you find a wiser way. Similarly, in the field of research, collaboration and networking have important benefits which are hard to overlook.
Here are 5 Importance of Collaboration and Networking in Research:-
- Improves Impact Factor of Publications– There is a direct correlation between number of authors and journal’s impact factor. The more number of authors collaborate on a single factor, the better is the viewership of the paper. If impact factor of the journal improves, the paper also receives a prestigious position in the academic world. Hence, this is a two-way process which benefits the authors as well as the journals.
- Less Work More Output– More authors collaborating on a work, divides the load of research, data collection, sampling and statistical analyses. Sharing the load always gives more productive output. When you have to do less work, you can focus more in-depth on the topics you are handling. Sometimes, things get easier when you don’t try to do everything alone.
- More Citations and Exposure– Networking with people exposes you to newer opportunities, better publication houses and prestigious journals. Some contacts in the academic world can fetch you great publication deals for your research work, in important scientific journals. Also, collaboration of multiple authors improve citation of the paper, as more and more people circulate the work in their individual ways. Therefore, international journal prefers works by multiple authors who are affiliated to good universities.
- Creative Ideas– How much ever brilliant we are, our brains function in systematic ways such that after a point of time, it gets exhausted. Hence, unique research questions may require fresh brains. Research question is the most important start to a scientific work; more the number of authors, better the probability of generating fresh ideas as research questions. Also, networking at seminars and academic meets can strike unique concepts for your research paper. Networking places are opportunities to dig out, never-before-found ideas for a scientific study. Sometimes, networking with similar minded people also helps you find the literature gaps, so that you know what to focus your work on. In short, networking and collaboration enhances agility of a scientific study, because there are higher chances of bringing out a unique finding.
- Impressing Investors and Funders– Collaboration improves chances of impressing funders and investors. When more number of people put their interest on a topic, investors see more value in such a work, where inputs are higher. Additionally, networking also helps find better funding for your research. You might be able to impress someone with your idea through a discussion in an academic seminar. Researches that find more funds have higher chances of being featured in international journals.
Research work always improves with teamwork, group collaboration and connections, because when more people work together, fresh ideas creep in, citations improve, work load is shared and findings are validated better. These optimistic steps always impress investors and funders, who are more than willing to invest in a work that has multiple stakeholders.