Hotspots, research productivity and collaboration networks in remote sensing and GIS in Australia from 1991 to 2010

Knowledge of the spatial distribution and clustering of productive areas of research can be used by prospective postgraduate students and early career researchers to target locations with high potential for professional development, as well as encourage strategic networking and sharing of knowledge. In the present study, the research output of the Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Science (RS/GIS) discipline in Australia was examined and hotspots of research activity were identified. Publication data from 10 peer-reviewed journals for the 1991 to 2010 period were used to look at research productivity and the levels of research collaboration between research institutions, based on authorship data. Results identified a number of hotspot areas, signifying a clustering of RS/GIS research. The productivity of these hotspot clusters changed over time, with some clusters that were very productive in the early 1990s giving way to other clusters that had developed significantly over time. Some clusters declined in productivity over time, while others were superseded by the development of more productive clusters. The study also found a substantial increase in cross-institutional collaboration in RS/GIS research in Australia over the last 20 years.