Input–output analysis of international research collaborations: a case study of five U.S. universities

International collaboration in research is increasingly recognized as an important component of both research and internationalization priorities by higher education institutions. This study analyzed the input–output trends of international research collaboration at five U.S. public universities using quantitative research metrics. We also tested these set of metrics to understand its individual direct relationship with international research collaboration using binary logistic regression. Results showed that international faculty, research funding, research influence, and academic impact were statistically significant (P < 0.05) and can serve as single predictors of international research collaboration for the five universities. Findings should provide international officers and research managers with clear sample data and metrics, and their association to make judgments and decisions on the value and impact of international research collaborations as they relate to overall research progress, productivity and research quality of U.S. universities.