The Impact of Mobility on Researchers' Collaborations in a Developing Country: The Case of Turkey

• In Event: Being a Lab, Studying a Lab: Practicing Good Relations in Building Qualitative Research Infrastructures - II

Abstract

High Performance Computing (HPC) meets the high computational needs of researchers dealing with big data. This sophisticated computation environment is for researchers looking for solutions to complex questions. Collaboration is common in accessing advanced equipment, and the literature on the international big data collaborations of researchers is quite rich. However, there is limited literature searching specifically for the international collaboration of researchers using HPC. In this study, we investigate researchers affiliated with Turkish universities and using HPC regarding collaboration. We generate data through semi-structured interviews that are conducted with researchers in Turkey using HPC. The findings of the study show that international collaboration is a need for researchers in Turkey to reach advanced equipment as there are not many in the country. Thus, network connections are vital for collaborations; however, researchers' poor mobility is a barrier to expanding these networks and building trust to collaborate. Although science is a collaborative effort, it is not easy for researchers in developing countries as they are not generally part of the global research communities and collaborations. Consequently, researchers using HPC in Turkey cannot collaborate due to poor mobility and have difficulty in accessing the required equipment for their research. Our results present the effect of mobility on the motivations of international collaborations established to access specialized equipment.

Authors

• Gökçe Nuhoğlu, Middle East Technical University

• Arsev Umur Aydinoglu, Middle East Technical University