Scholarly publishing in Ukraine (2005-2023): Mobility, productivity, and citation impact
Myroslava Hladchenko
Orcid profile and 
Article Category: Research Papers
Published Online: Sep 17, 2025
Received: May 18, 2025
Accepted: Jul 17, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jdis-2025-0043
Keywords
© 2025 Myroslava Hladchenko et al., published by Sciendo
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Purpose
This study explores how academic mobility influenced research productivity and citation impact among Ukrainian scholars from 2005 to 2023. It examines the effects of evolving research assessment policies on scholarly publishing, particularly in the context of institutional affiliations and national versus international mobility.
Design/methodology/approach
Using publication and citation data from the Dimensions database, this study analyses two cohorts of Ukrainian scholars who began publishing during 2005–2013 and 2014–2023. The analysis categorises scholars by affiliation type (universities vs. National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine), and mobility status (non-mobile, nationally mobile, and internationally mobile), enabling a comparative evaluation of research output and impact.
Findings
The findings reveal a structural shift in affiliations, with a sharp increase in university-affiliated scholars and a decline in the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine scholars. Although research output grew, citation impact remained low, particularly among non-mobile scholars. International mobility consistently correlates with higher productivity and impact, while national mobility yields modest gains, likely due to uniform constraints across domestic institutions. The post-2013 policy changes increased publication volume but not citation impact, as they focused primarily on quantity, not quality. Furthermore, Russo-Ukrainian war has severely constrained academic work.
Research limitations
The analysis is limited by the bibliometric database coverage and the reliance on initial and final affiliations as a proxy for mobility, which may overlook interim mobility events.
Practical implications
The findings suggest that research policy in Ukraine should go beyond incentivising publication counts and instead foster quality through enhanced infrastructure, sustained funding, and expanded international collaboration opportunities.
Originality/value
This study offers new insights into how mobility patterns interact with institutional structures and national policy in a war-affected research system.