World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
World Bank Research Observer
H-index 6

World Bank Research Observer

0257-3032

Published by: Oxford University Press

https://academic.oup.com/wbro

Ranking & Metrics

Discipline name Position Best Scientists Publications D-Index
Economics and Finance 379 13 13 6

Additional Metrics

Number of Best Scientists*: 17
Documents by Best Scientists*: 15
Top 100 Ranked Scientists*: 0
SCIMAGO H-index: 81
SCIMAGO SJR: 3.281
Impact Factor: 3.3

Overview

Top Research Topics at World Bank Research Observer?

The scientific interests tackled in the journal are Economic growth, Developing country, Public economics, Finance and Poverty. Public policy is a focus of the presented Economic growth works and it dives deep in Public policy. The studies in Public economics featured incorporate elements of Incentive, Public sector and Public good.

The journal focused on Public sector research but expanded to cover Private sector. Finance research is concerned with Financial intermediary in particular. While work presented in World Bank Research Observer provided substantial information on Poverty, it also covered topics in Standard of living, Development economics and Economic inequality.

  • Economic growth (16.67%)
  • Developing country (15.33%)
  • Public economics (13.41%)

What are the most cited papers published in the journal?

  • Social capital: implications for development theory, research, and policy (2980 citations)
  • The dangers of decentralization (1349 citations)
  • Much ado about nothing? do domestic firms really benefit from foreign direct investment? (1276 citations)

Research areas of the most cited articles at World Bank Research Observer:

The journal publications investigate areas of study like Economic growth, Public economics, Poverty, Development economics and Finance. The presentations in the published articles discussing Economic growth offer insights in topics such as Developing country and Health care. The studies on Public economics discussed at the most cited papers can also contribute to research in the domains of Communal land, Education reform, Welfare, Public sector and Public good.

What topics the last edition of the journal is best known for?

  • Law
  • China
  • Finance

The previous edition focused in particular on these issues:

The topics of Developing country, Development economics, Labour economics, Market integration and Economic growth are the focal point of discussions in the journal. The journal discusses concepts in Social protection under Economic growth and how they intertwine with disciplines like Child development.

The most cited articles from the last journal are:

  • Policies to Support Businesses through the COVID-19 Shock: A Firm Level Perspective (3 citations)
  • EdTech in Developing Countries: A Review of the Evidence (0 citations)
  • Social Protection for Child Development in Crisis: A Review of Evidence and Knowledge Gaps (0 citations)

Papers citation over time

A key indicator for each journal is its effectiveness in reaching other researchers with the papers published at that venue.

The chart below presents the interquartile range (first quartile 25%, median 50% and third quartile 75%) of the number of citations of articles over time.

The top authors publishing in World Bank Research Observer (based on the number of publications) are:

  • Luis Servén (16 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Martin Ravallion (16 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Stijn Claessens (15 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Gershon Feder (13 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Jeffrey S. Hammer (12 papers) absent at the last edition.

The overall trend for top authors publishing in this journal is outlined below. The chart shows the number of publications at each edition of the journal for top authors.

Only papers with recognized affiliations are considered

The top affiliations publishing in World Bank Research Observer (based on the number of publications) are:

  • World Bank (65 papers) published 2 papers at the last edition, 1 less than at the previous edition,
  • University of Oxford (49 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • London School of Economics and Political Science (6 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • International Food Policy Research Institute (5 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Cornell University (3 papers) absent at the last edition.

The overall trend for top affiliations publishing in this journal is outlined below. The chart shows the number of publications at each edition of the journal for top affiliations.

Publication chance based on affiliation

The publication chance index shows the ratio of articles published by the best research institutions in the journal edition to all articles published within that journal. The best research institutions were selected based on the largest number of articles published during all editions of the journal.

The chart below presents the percentage ratio of articles from top institutions (based on their ranking of total papers).Top affiliations were grouped by their rank into the following tiers: top 1-10, top 11-20, top 21-50, and top 51+. Only articles with a recognized affiliation are considered.

During the most recent 2021 edition, 28.57% of publications had an unrecognized affiliation. Out of the publications with recognized affiliations, 40.00% were posted by at least one author from the top 10 institutions publishing in the journal. Another 0.00% included authors affiliated with research institutions from the top 11-20 affiliations. Institutions from the 21-50 range included 40.00% of all publications and 20.00% were from other institutions.

Returning Authors Index

A very common phenomenon observed among researchers publishing scientific articles is the intentional selection of journals they have already attended in the past. In particular, it is worth analyzing the case when the authors participate in the same journal from year to year.

The Returning Authors Index presented below illustrates the ratio of authors who participated in both a given as well as the previous edition of the journal in relation to all participants in a given year.

Returning Institution Index

The graph below shows the Returning Institution Index, illustrating the ratio of institutions that participated in both a given and the previous edition of the conference in relation to all affiliations present in a given year.

The experience to innovation index

Our experience to innovation index was created to show a cross-section of the experience level of authors publishing in a journal. The index includes the authors publishing at the last edition of a journal, grouped by total number of publications throughout their academic career (P) and the total number of citations of these publications ever received (C).

The group intervals were selected empirically to best show the diversity of the authors' experiences, their labels were selected as a convenience, not as judgment. The authors were divided into the following groups:

  • Novice - P < 5 or C < 25 (the number of publications less than 5 or the number of citations less than 25),
  • Competent - P < 10 or C < 100 (the number of publications less than 10 or the number of citations less than 100),
  • Experienced - P < 25 or C < 625 (the number of publications less than 25 or the number of citations less than 625),
  • Master - P < 50 or C < 2500 (the number of publications less than 50 or the number of citations less than 2500),
  • Star - P ≥ 50 and C ≥ 2500 (both the number of publications greater than 50 and the number of citations greater than 2500).

The chart below illustrates experience levels of first authors in cases of publications with multiple authors.

Educational Institutions Contributing to World Bank Research Observer

The World Bank Research Observer brings together research contributions from across several domains of economics, finance, and policy from a wide range of institutions. Many of these research articles originated from prominent educational institutions. Outstanding research contributions have come from some of the best accounting programs in Indiana and other regions of the world. These institutions have significantly contributed to the diverse wealth of knowledge and perspectives represented in the journal. Renowned schools like the University of Indiana, Purdue University, and Notre Dame University are some of the contributors from Indiana. Their faculty's research work in the areas of economics, finance, or policy frequently feature prominently in World Bank Research Observer. The engagement and collaboration between these educational institutions and the journal have not only provided different perspectives on crucial economic and policy issues but also created opportunities for students at these institutions to partake in cutting-edge research in their respective fields. This amplifies the practical implications of the theory they learn in the classroom and facilitates their transition from academia to industry or further research. As the World Bank Research Observer continues to grow, the contribution of researchers from both regional and global educational institutions, including those from some of the best accounting programs in Indiana, will remain an integral part of the journal's continuing mission. Their unique perspectives, rigorous research methods, and collective expertise serve to enrich the dialogue on economic and policy issues affecting the world.

Top Publications

  • Who on Earth Can Work from Home?

    Unknown

    (2021)
    155 Citations
  • The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Women-Led Businesses

    (2022)
    24 Citations
  • Financial Inclusion and Stability: Review of Theoretical and Empirical Links

    Martin Čihák;Davide Salvatore Mare;Davide Salvatore Mare;Martin Melecky;Martin Melecky

    (2020)
    17 Citations
  • Services, Jobs, and Economic Development in Africa

    (2022)
    9 Citations
  • Mentoring Migrants for Labor Market Integration: Policy Insights from a Survey of Mentoring Theory and Practice

    Lisa Bagnoli;Antonio Estache

    (2021)
    7 Citations

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Best Scientists Contributing to This Journal

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