  Using data from co-authorships at the international level in all fields of
science in 1990 and 2000, and within six case studies at the sub-field level in
2000, different explanations for the growth of international collaboration in
science and technology are explored. We find that few of the explanations
within the literature can be supported by a detailed review of the data. To
enable further exploration of the role of recognition and rewards as ordering
mechanisms within the system, we apply new tools emerging from network science.
These enquiries shows that the growth of international co-authorships can be
attributed to self-organizing phenomenon based on preferential attachment
(searching for recognition and reward) within networks of co-authors. The
co-authorship links can be considered as a complex network with sub-dynamics
involving features of both competition and cooperation. The analysis suggests
that the growth of international collaboration is more likely to emerge from
dynamics at the sub-field level operating in all fields of science, albeit
under institutional constraints. Implications for the management of global
scientific collaborations are explored.
