Thomson Reuters Announces the World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds 2014

    The Intellectual Property and Science business of Thomson Reuters, the world’s leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals, today released its analysis announcing “The World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds: 2014,” listing the top researchers in science around the globe. Those named have earned their distinction by publishing the highest number of articles that rank among those most frequently cited by fellow researchers.

    “Science and innovation are strong drivers of the future – and these people are making that future come to life,” said Basil Moftah, president, Thomson Reuters IP & Science. “The global nature of the study highlights the countries, institutions and researchers on the cutting edge of science. It’s our mission at Thomson Reuters to support these individuals as they advance innovation globally.”

    The report is based on two separate studies, both drawing on data and commentary from Thomson Reuters bibliometric experts via InCitesTMEssential Science IndicatorsSM, the world’s leading web-based research analytics platform. The analysts used a unique compilation of science performance metrics and scientific trend data based on journal article publication counts and citation data from the Web of ScienceTM, the premier web-based platform for scientific and scholarly research.

    The first analysis, an annual study performed by Thomson Reuters, spotlights the scientific community’s emerging trends and the innovators behind them by ranking the scientists, or hottest researchers, who recently published at least 15 papers with notably higher levels of citations. The 2014 list of the hottest researchers was identified by tabulating citations that were recorded during calendar year 2013 for papers published between 2011 and 2013.

    The second, longer-range study updates the world’s most influential researchers listing, also known as the most Highly Cited Researchers. Thomson Reuters collaborated with its valued partner, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and producer of the Academic Ranking of World Universities, to create the Highly Cited Researchers listing for 2014.

    Thomson Reuters analysts assessed papers indexed between 2002 and 2012 in 21 broad fields of study. They tracked authors who published numerous articles that ranked among the top one percent of the most cited in their respective fields in the given year of publication. These documents represent research that the scientific community has judged to be the most significant and useful.

    There are upwards of 3,200 researchers from around the world recognized in this study. This compilation attests to the power and scope of citations in determining influential research across disciplines. To learn more about the methodology behind the listing of Highly Cited Researchers, visit http://highlycited.com/.

    “Among the unique strengths of the Web of Science is the comprehensive citation data that supports every indexed item,” says Gordon Macomber, managing director of Thomson Reuters Scientific and Scholarly Research. “Citations offer a direct testament to work that scientists themselves judge to be the most important to ongoing research. By analyzing these citation connections, one can identify the most impactful people, publications, programs, and more. The listings in Highly Cited Researchers truly reflect positive assessment by peers, and constitute a searchable database containing an elite selection of the world’s most influential scientific researchers.”

    Visit ScienceWatch.com to download “The World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds: 2014.”

    Learn more about Highly Cited Researchers, Web of Science, Essential Science Indicators and InCites.