UT in the top 1 per cent of highly cited science institutions in 10 fields
At the beginning of March, the statistics of Thomson Reuters Essential Science Indicators (ESI), one of the most highly esteemed databases of scientific journals, were updated, revealing that for the first time, the publications of the top 1 per cent of the most cited researchers of the University of Tartu cover ten scientific fields at the same time.
Of Estonia’s science institutions, the University of Tartu has made it to the top 1 per cent of the world’s most highly cited science institutions in ten fields out of 22. These fields are: molecular biology and genetics; environmental science and ecology; biology and biochemistry; botany and zoology; chemistry; geosciences; psychiatry and psychology; clinical medicine; general social sciences; and engineering. The University of Life Sciences is among the top 1 per cent in botany and zoology. “Botany and zoology hold the top spot not only with regard to the total number of citations, but also with regard to their influence, exceeding the world’s average of citations per article by 57 per cent,” says the Professor of Experimental Psychology at the University of Tartu Jüri Allik, adding that the environmental scientists and ecologists are almost as influential – their citations per article exceed the world’s average in that field by 46 per cent.
“The world-level scientific performance of the University of Tartu and its influence are a solid basis for providing the best possible higher education to both Estonian and foreign students. Our researchers’ success in technical sciences is based on the adeptness of the University’s scientists at fundamental research as well as our contemporary science infrastructure. Although only 1 per cent of all the students in the curriculum group in Estonia follow a curriculum in the technical science, production and technology group at the University of Tartu, the contribution of Tartu University scientists to the research and development of various technologies is notable even in the context of international competition, as attested by the recent ESI survey,” says Marco Kirm, the Vice Rector for Research at the University of Tartu.
In the past 11 years the researchers of the University of Tartu have published a total of 6094 papers in top journals, collecting 63,800 citations. Based on Estonian Research Information System data, the researchers and students of the University of Tartu published a total of 2744 scientific articles in 2012. According to the ISI Web of Science, the authors at the University of Tartu have 936 publications altogether.
Thomson Reuters Essential Science Indicators (ESI) only monitors the articles published between 2002 and 2012 in the top international journals.
For the most highly cited researchers and scientific fields at the University of Tartu, visit the university website.
For further information: Jüri Allik, Professor of Experimental Psychology, tel: 737 5905, 518 4277, email: juri.allik [ät] ut.ee.