Top numbers of Oxford researchers make Highly Cited Researchers list

Oxford University is delighted that 52 of its academics have been named on the annual Highly Cited Researchers™ 2020 list from Clarivate. This number is the highest number in the UK and 2nd highest in Europe.

The highly anticipated annual list identifies researchers who demonstrated significant influence in their chosen field or fields through the publication of multiple highly cited papers during the last decade. Their names are drawn from the publications that rank in the top 1% by citations for field and publication year in the Web of Science™ citation index.

The methodology that determines the “who’s who” of influential researchers draws on the data and analysis performed by bibliometric experts and data scientists at the Institute for Scientific Information™ at Clarivate. It also uses the tallies to identify the countries and research institutions where these scientific elite are based.

Professor Patrick Grant, Pro Vice Chancellor (Research) at Oxford University, said: ‘We are fortunate to have so many eminent researchers who are addressing many of the world’s most pressing problems and exciting opportunities. Their work and the impact it produces inspires us all. This global recognition of individuals also speaks to the excellence of the research students, early career researchers and staff who support and contribute to our research.’

Professor Heather Viles, Associate Head of the Social Sciences Division (Research), said: 'It’s brilliant to see so many researchers from the Social Sciences Division on this list, reflecting their contributions to scholarship on global challenges such as food supply, disease, and climate change, as well as to ecological and archaeological science.'

Laura Herz, Associate Head of the MPLS Division (Research), said: 'I am really delighted to be included in the 2020 Highly Cited Researchers List. It’s fantastic to see so many researchers from a number of different MPLS (Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences) Departments represented which demonstrates the strong research base we have within the Division and across the University as a whole.'

David Pendlebury, Senior Citation Analyst at the Institute for Scientific Information at Clarivate said: 'In the race for knowledge, it is human capital that is fundamental and this list identifies and celebrates exceptional individual researchers at Oxford University who are having a great impact on the research community as measured by the rate at which their work is being cited by others.'

The full 2020 Highly Cited Researchers list and executive summary can be found online here.