by Imed Bouchrika, Phd
On May 5, 2022, Research.com released the 1st edition of the annual ranking for top scientists in the area of psychology. This list of leading scholars is designed to offer the academic community more visibility and exposure to the influential research contributions made by those at the forefront of psychology.
What is more, we hope it will inspire researchers, decision-makers, and entrepreneurs around the world to find out where leading experts are heading. It is a great opportunity for all of us to learn who are the leading experts in different research areas, in different countries, as well as within different universities and research institutions.
For the 2022 edition of the ranking, more than 12,500 scientist profiles on Google Scholar and Microsoft Academic Graph have been examined with several indicators and metrics reviewed in order to consider each scientist’s inclusion in the ranking.
The h-index threshold for approving a scholar to be considered was set to 30 if most of their publications were in the field of psychology. The inclusion criteria for scholars to be considered into the ranking of top scientists are based on the discipline h-index, the proportion of contributions made within the given discipline in addition to the awards and achievements of the scientists.
The full ranking for the 2022 list of top psychology scientists can be found here:
TOP PSYCHOLOGY SCIENTISTS RANKING
Scientists from the United States dominate the list with 625 scholars included in 2022 which represents 62.5% of the whole ranking. However, only 3 out of 10 scientists in the top 1% are from the United States.
The United Kingdom ranks second with 116 scientists.
The third spot was taken by the Netherlands, which currently has 56 ranking scientists.
The other leading countries are Canada with 52 scientists, Australia with 46 scientists, Germany with 34 scientists, Italy with 10 scientists, and Belgium with 9 scholars.
Please note that the country associated with a scientist is based on their affiliated research institution according to MAG, not on their actual nationality.
In the 2022 edition of our ranking, Harvard University is the leader, with 30 scientists affiliated with that institution included in the ranking. Ranking second is King’s College London with 26 scientists, and the third place is occupied by Yale University with 22 scholars.
American universities and institutions constitute 70% of the top 10 leading institutions with the other three representing the UK (King’s College London, University of Cambridge, and University of Oxford).
Only 3 out of 10 institutions affiliated with the top 1% of leading scientists are based outside the USA. The other top spots are occupied by scientists from the UK (spots 1, 2, 3, 4, 6), and (spots 7, 9).
Online psychology degree programs not only provide students with an option to complete postsecondary education but reinforce research initiatives in the field. For instance, these programs can provide students access to online research databases, journals, and other resources. This can help students stay up-to-date with the latest developments in the field and learn about new concepts–wherever they are.
With a 62.5% share of the world’s top-ranking scientists in the field of psychology, the U.S., for one, can democratize access to top-tier research mentors worldwide. Because of this online bridge, one can imagine several research-based careers in psychology opening up for a prodigy in Africa, for example, or eager minds in countries outside of our ranking.
Online psychology degree programs may also promote interdisciplinary research by providing students with opportunities to collaborate with students and faculty from other fields, such as neuroscience, sociology, and education.
So, when one asks, what can you do with a psychology degree earned via distance learning? One should think of research opportunities, too. No longer limited by distance, online degree students from across the globe can collaborate with ease, and push the research frontier further. This can lead to new insights and discoveries that can only advance the field of psychology.
For Europe, Professor Trevor W. Robbins from the University of Cambridge, UK is on top of the list with a world ranking of no. 1 as well. His h-index is 249.
For North America, Professor Terrie E. Moffitt from Duke University, United States is ranked first in the region, with an H-index of 196. She’s also listed as no. 5 in the world ranking.
For Oceania, Professor Richard M. Ryan from the Australian Catholic University ranks 1st on our list of leading scientists in that region. He’s also listed as no. 7 in the world ranking with an h-index of 189.
Professor Michael Harris Bond from Hong Kong Polytechnic University, China leads the top list in Asia with a world ranking of 413 as well.
Professor Facundo Manes from Favaloro University, Argentina is the highest-ranking scientist from South America with a world ranking of 942.
No scientists from Africa were ranked among the top 1000 scientists.
The average H-index for the top 1% of scientists is 201 against an average of 98 for all 1000 scientists included in the ranking.
The scholar with the lowest index value who made it to the ranking in 2022 has an H-index of 76.
The average number of published articles for the top 1% of scientists in the ranking is 618 against an average of 296 for all 1000 scholars.
The average number of citations for the top 1% of scientists is 197,037 against an average of 49,639 for all 1000 scholars. The highest cited scientist is Richard M. Ryan from the Australian Catholic University with 452,812 citations.
You can learn more about the methodology used to create the ranking here.
All research was coordinated by Imed Bouchrika, PhD, a computer scientist with a well-established record of collaboration on a number of international research projects with different partners from the academic community. His role was to make sure all data remained unbiased, accurate, and up-to-date.
Research.com is the number one research portal for science rankings. Our mission is to make it easier for professors, research fellows, and those studying for a PhD or a master’s degree to progress with their research and to ensure they are always up-to-date with the latest conferences around the world and publications related to their work. Research.com is also involved in the publication of an annual ranking of leading scientists in a wide range of scientific disciplines.
