Constitutional freedom of scientific research and bibliometric impact. The condition of publications with international impact in the countries of the former Eastern Bloc

The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union significantly changed the maps of Europe and Asia. As a rule, the constitutions of the newly independent or newly created states guaranteed the freedom of scientific research; however, in practice this principle, measured by the number of publications with international impact, has been implemented in different ways. This article aims to determine the patterns of international collaboration on academic publications adopted in the countries of the former Eastern Bloc, and suggests possible explanations of differences between them. The research led to identification of four such patterns: 1) isolation from foreign research, 2) effective independence, 3) ineffective collaboration, 4) effective collaboration.