Title
A multi-level network analysis of web-citations among the world's universities
Abstract
This paper describes the results of a multi-level network analysis of web-citations among the 1,000 universities with the greatest presence on the world wide web. Using data from January 2011, it describes the web-citation network of the world's universities and ascertains the antecedent factors that determine its structure. At the university level, the network is composed of ten groups, and the most central universities are mainly from the United States. The factors that predict the structure of the network are, whether or not the universities are in the same country, the language of instruction, the size and excellence of the institution (university ranking and the number of Nobel Prizes received), if they offer doctoral degrees, and the infrastructure of its country. Physical distance was not a determinant of the network's structure. At the nation-state level, international connections among a nation's universities are composed of a single cluster with the United States, United Kingdom and Germany at the center. The structure of the international network may be predicted by the countries' overall hyperlink connections, international co-authorships, student flows and the number of Nobel Prizes won by its citizen.
Year
DOI
Venue
2014
10.1007/s11192-013-1070-0
Scientometrics
Keywords
Field
DocType
Webometrics,Hyperlink network analysis,Informetrics,World university ranking,International networks,Social network analysis
Ranking,Public relations,Computer science,Social network analysis,Informetrics,Nobel prizes,Hyperlink,Network analysis,Excellence,Webometrics
Journal
Volume
Issue
ISSN
99
1
0138-9130
Citations 
PageRank 
References 
7
0.56
32
Authors
5
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
George A. Barnett119322.75
Han Woo Park276057.84
Ke Jiang391.28
Chuan Tang470.56
Isidro F. Aguillo538827.81