by Imed Bouchrika, Phd
On June 2, 2022, Research.com released the 1st edition of the annual ranking for top scientists in the area of social sciences and humanities. 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 humanities and social sciences.
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 10,000 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 humanities or social science. 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 humanities & social scientists can be found here:
TOP HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENTISTS RANKING
Scientists from the United States dominate the list with 497 scholars included in 2022 which represents 49.7% of the whole ranking. 6 out of 10 scientists in the top 1% are from the United States as well.
The United Kingdom ranks second with 193 scientists.
The third spot was taken by Australia, which currently has 72 ranking scientists.
The other leading countries are Canada with 58 scientists, the Netherlands with 39 scientists, Germany with 25 scientists, France with 11 scientists, and Sweden with 11 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 31 scientists affiliated with that institution included in the ranking. Ranking second is the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor with 21 scientists, and the third place is occupied by Stanford University with 17 scholars.
American universities and institutions constitute 80% of the top 10 leading institutions with the other two representing the UK (University of Oxford), and Canada (University of Toronto).
4 out of 10 institutions affiliated with the top 1% of leading scientists are based outside the USA, including the very first one in the world ranking - Collège de France.
A joint research effort by Wiley Education Services and Aslanian Market Research found that online college students in the United States show a strong interest in the social sciences and humanities. Specifically, 16% of undergraduate and graduate students choose social sciences, while 11% enroll in humanities programs. The advent of online degree programs has revolutionized research in these fields, offering students pursuing social science careers a unique opportunity to collaborate with global instructors and gain diverse perspectives and experiences, irrespective of geographical barriers.
Online social work degree programs also benefit students who aim to engage in research and contribute to these fields' growth. They get unique opportunities to gain international insights and exposure to diverse peers and professors. Collaborating with diverse individuals, these students can dive into research that can contribute to meaningful changes that promote the betterment of humanity. This innovative approach to social work education equips students with the knowledge and skills to become community leaders and make a lasting impact on society.
For Europe, Professor Pierre Bourdieu from Collège de France is on top of the list with a world ranking of no. 1 as well. His h-index is 142.
For North America, Professor Herbert A. Simon from the Carnegie Mellon University, United States is ranked first in the region, with an H-index of 139. He's also listed as no. 2 in the world ranking.
For Oceania, Professor Robert Costanza from the Australian National University ranks 1st on our list of leading scientists in that region. He's also listed as no. 9 in the world ranking with an h-index of 110.
Professor Lucy Gilson from the University of Cape Town, South Africa leads the top list in Africa with a world ranking of 30 as well.
Professor Kwok Leung from the University of San Andrés, Argentina is the highest-ranking scientist from Asia with a world ranking of 328.
Professor Carlos Augusto Monteiro from Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil is the highest-ranking scientist from South America with a world ranking of 214.
The average H-index for the top 1% of scientists is 125 against an average of 65 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 53.
The average number of published articles for the top 1% of scientists in the ranking is 333 against an average of 179 for all 1000 scholars.
The average number of citations for the top 1% of scientists is 129,033 against an average of 28,930 for all 1000 scholars. The highest cited scientist is Pierre Bourdieu from Collège de France with 438,049 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.
by Imed Bouchrika, Phd
by Imed Bouchrika, Phd
by Imed Bouchrika, Phd
by Imed Bouchrika, Phd
by Imed Bouchrika, Phd
