Global author collaborations in lupus research and publications: a meta-research and network analysis

Global collaboration is a key driver of advances in complex diseases such as lupus, yet its distribution and structure remain insufficiently characterised. This study aimed to analyse global authorship, productivity and collaboration patterns in lupus publications over the last 10 years.

A bibliometric analysis of lupus-related publications indexed in PubMed between April 2016 and 2026 was conducted. Author affiliations were disambiguated and mapped to countries. Productivity indicators (number of authors and publications), population-standardised metrics and collaboration measures, including coauthorship patterns and the International Collaborative Index (ICI), were calculated. Network visualisation was performed using VOSviewer.

A total of 22 813 publications involving 76 536 authors across 142 countries were identified, with a 74% increase in annual output over the study period. China and the USA had the highest numbers of authors and publications, while smaller countries such as Iceland and Greece ranked highest when adjusted per capita. Most publications (83.1%) were single-country studies. The USA was the central hub of international collaboration, with the highest number of links (n=115) and total link strength. The most frequent collaborations involved the USA, particularly with the UK and China. Countries such as Iceland and Uruguay showed high ICI values, whereas China and Japan had lower international collaboration levels. Network analysis revealed a core-periphery structure dominated by North America and Western Europe.

Lupus research is expanding but remains concentrated within a limited number of countries. International collaboration is uneven, highlighting the need for more inclusive global research partnerships.