A bibliometric assessment of ASEAN's output, influence and collaboration in plant biotechnology

This research uses 10-year (2004-2013) publication and citation data related to plant biotechnology to assess the research performance, impact, and collaboration of member states of the ASEAN in plant biotechnology. Findings indicate increased scientific output of ASEAN countries in plant biotechnology as well as increased research collaborations by individual member states and with international partners throughout the 10-year period. The nature of collaboration by ASEAN is linked with the status of economic development of each country. Domestic and international collaborations are strong and are increasing through the years, regional collaboration on the other hand is found to be limited. This limited regional partnership can be a concern for the region's goal of economic integration. Further studies using bibliometric data analysis is suggested for policy diagnosis in plant biotechnology cooperation, knowledge flows, and effect of plant biotechnology research in economic development between ASEAN countries.