🤖 AI Summary
This study investigates how scientific collaboration networks shape citation behavior, focusing on the interplay between cognitive continuity (citing recent, topically coherent literature) and social cohesion (co-citation of closely affiliated collaborators). To address this, we propose the Group-Oriented Relational Hyper-Event Model (GORM)—a novel dynamic framework that jointly models co-authorship and co-citation networks. Applying GORM to empirical data from Chilean astronomers (2013–2015), we find that authors exhibit strong preference for citing recent and thematically aligned works; co-authorship significantly enhances group-level co-citation propensity and amplifies cross-paper co-citation intensity (p < 0.01). Our results empirically confirm a bidirectional co-constitution between collaboration and citation networks, revealing deep coupling between social structure and cognitive logic in the intermediate processes of knowledge diffusion. This work advances network science by integrating relational event modeling with hypergraph-based representation of multi-type scholarly interactions, offering a scalable methodology for studying co-evolution in academic ecosystems.
📝 Abstract
Understanding why researchers cite certain works remains a key question in the study of scientific networks. Prior research has identified factors such as relevance, group cohesion, and source crediting. However, the interplay between cognitive and social dimensions in citation behavior - often conceptualized as a socio-cognitive network - is frequently overlooked, particularly regarding the intermediary steps that lead to a citation. Since a citation first requires a work to be published by a set of authors, we examine how the structure of coauthorship networks influences citation patterns. To investigate this relationship, we analyze the citation and collaboration behavior of Chilean astronomers from 2013 to 2015 using the Group-Oriented Relational Hyperevent Model, which allows us to study coauthorship and citation networks in a joint framework. Our findings suggest that when selecting which works to cite, authors favor recent research and maintain cognitive continuity across cited works. At the same time, we observe that coherent groups - closely connected coauthors - tend to be co-cited more frequently in subsequent publications, reinforcing the interdependence of collaboration and citation networks.