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In the Nature Index 2016 Collaborations, an index compiled by Nature Research and released on November 17, 2016, NASA ranked 6th in the list of the top 100 most collaborative research institutions. The ranking was based on the number of primary articles published in high-quality science journals, with results reflecting connections and partnerships between different nations, institutions, and regions that have allowed scientists to share data and accelerate the progress of their research.

While physical proximity can be a factor for the success of a collaboration, Nature points out that among individual researchers, “factors such as expertise, social networks or a previous interaction can play a more significant role than geographical closeness.” NASA’s body of natural science publications includes work resulting from virtual collaborations inherent in the NASA Astobiology Institute (NAI) and Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI), with the 2nd most cited NASA publication coauthored by Mary Beth Wilhelm, a member of the NAI team at the SETI Institute.

The full Nature Index 2016 Collaborations can be read at: http://www.nature.com/nature/supplements/nature-index-collaborations-2016/.

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Related story: Studying Astrobiology: An Examination of Academic Publications at the NAI