Brokerage, Gender, and Academic Performance in Interdisciplinary Co-Authorship Networks: A Study of Policy-Related Social Learning Publications

Brokers serve as key connectors linking academic researchers who might otherwise remain unconnected, to co-authorship networks. This study examines whether more complex interdisciplinary co-authorships yield greater scholarly impact than ties with authors from the same discipline, which are facilitated by cognitive similarity. It also tests the extent to which such collaborations influence the academic performance of female researchers. The study analyzed 594 authors and 271 papers in the field of social learning. Despite their complexity, regression analyses confirm the benefits of novel sources and combinations of interdisciplinary knowledge. The higher coordination and communication costs of interdisciplinary collaboration are offset by the potential of the new knowledge generated. Interdisciplinary collaboration is associated with higher performance among female scholars, contributing to increased recognition and reputation. This pattern suggests that collaboration strategies and institutional support should reduce coordination barriers in interdisciplinary co-authorship and facilitate women's access to high-impact brokerage opportunities.