The drivers, features, and influence of first scientific collaboration among core scholars from Chinese library and information field
研究中国图书情报领域1487位核心学者的首次合作，发现相似的研究产出、对比的学术影响力、一致的研究方向和不同的研究重点是促成首次合作的驱动因素，并分析了首次合作特征对后续合作稳定性的影响，有助于改进学者推荐机制。
Abstract Collaboration among scholars in scientific research is increasingly common, making it important to address how to recommend suitable collaborators, especially for their first cooperation. To address this issue, this study focuses on 1487 core scholars in the field of library and information science in China, and then analyzes the impact of academic differences between these scholars in their first collaboration by using the propensity matching score method. It uncovers potential driving factors for scholars to reach first collaborations, including similar research productivity, contrasting academic influence, aligned research directions, and distinct research focuses. Then, the distribution of features of three types of first cooperation demonstrates that if one or both partners publish the first paper in this collaboration, the collaborative relationship tends to be more enduring and stable. In addition, the subsequent collaboration of scholars and the change in their academic differences are related to the initial academic differences between the two parties in the first collaboration. These patterns can be used to improve the accuracy and effectiveness of the scholar recommendation mechanism, hence promoting research collaboration and knowledge exchange.