International scientific assessments are transnational knowledge-based expert networks with a mandate to advise policymakers. A well-known example is the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA), which synthesized research on ecosystem services between 2001 and 2005, utilizing the knowledge of 1,360 expert members. Little, however, is known about the membership composition and the driving forces behind membership nominations in the MA and similar organizations. Here we introduce a survey data set on recruitment in the MA and analyse nomination patterns among experts as a complex network. The results indicate that membership recruitment was governed by prior contacts in other transnational elite organizations and a range of other factors related to personal affinity. Network analysis demonstrates how some core individuals were particularly influential in shaping the overall membership composition of the group. These findings add to recently noted concerns about the lack of diversity of views represented in international scientific assessments.

中文翻译：

---

国际科学评估中的成员提名

国际科学评估是基于知识的跨国专家网络，其任务是为决策者提供建议。一个著名的例子是千年生态系统评估（MA），该评估利用了1,360名专家成员的知识，对2001年至2005年之间的生态系统服务研究进行了综合。但是，关于MA和类似组织中的成员组成和成员提名背后的驱动力知之甚少。在这里，我们介绍了有关MA中招聘的调查数据集，并分析了作为复杂网络的专家之间的提名模式。结果表明，会员招募受其他跨国精英组织的先前接触以及与个人亲和力相关的一系列其他因素的制约。网络分析表明，一些核心个人在塑造该小组的总体成员组成方面具有特别的影响力。这些发现增加了最近注意到的对国际科学评估中缺乏观点多样性的担忧。