collaboration network analysis of papers published in english language accounting and finance journals in iran

Between 2016 and 2017, the ministry of science, research, and technology's scholarly journals commission authorized the publication of four english-language journals in accounting and finance. by the end of 2022, these journals collectively produced 853 papers. this study explores and analyses the network of scholarly collaboration among authors contributing to papers published in english-language accounting and finance journals endorsed by the ministry of science from their inaugural issues to the latest one in 2022. this investigation delves into research output volume authorship patterns and identifies prolific contributors, shedding light on the collaborative networks within accounting and finance studies in iran. employing scientometric indexes and social network analytics, this research takes a pragmatic approach and utilizes network analysis software such as ucinet and vosviewer for visualization and analysis. the findings of this study disclose that 2,438 authors contributed to a total of 853 papers. among these authors, only 53 papers (6%) were authored by international professors. examining authorship patterns reveals that a mere 8% of the papers (72 items) were individually authored, while the remainder involved collaboration: 25% (213 papers) were co-authored by pairs, 42% (354 papers) were the result of collaborative efforts among three scholars, and the remaining 25% were produced by groups involving more than three scholars. the most prolific monograph authors, credited with three monographs each, are mohammad izadikhah and reza jamei. the most productive authors are fraydoon rahnamay roodposhti, hashem nikoomaram, and mirfeiz fallah shams, with 28, 24, and 19 papers, respectively. notably, these authors have published over 80% of their works in the journal they manage, specifically the international journal of finance and managerial accounting. the analysis of the scholarly collaboration network reveals a collaboration encompassing 1,406 scholars, of which 1,002 (71%) have contributed to only one paper. the network, with a compression index 0.018, demonstrates low coherence and includes numerous isolated nodes. however, the international journal of finance and managerial accounting stands out with a compression index of 0.051, indicating the highest level of coherence among journals. regarding co-authorship, the most central scholars in the network are fraydoon rahmany roodposhti, hashem nikoomaram, and hamidreza vakilifard. notably, fraydoon rahmany roodposhti and hashem nikoomaram have the highest number of collaborations in the network, with ten joint efforts. visualizing the scholarly collaboration network yields valuable insights for policymakers within english-language accounting and finance journals. it aids in strategic planning by offering a comprehensive view of collaborations, contributing to a deeper understanding of this overlooked aspect of research partnerships.