A scientist’s position in the ranking is determined by their D-index (Discipline H-index), a discipline-specific metric that exclusively incorporates papers and citation data pertinent to Ecology and Evolution. This ensures that only scholarly contributions within the examined discipline influence the ranking outcome.
Scope of Research
The ranking involved an extensive examination of 279,971 scientist profiles aggregated from a wide array of bibliometric sources across all disciplines. Specifically, 1,000 scientists specializing in Ecology and Evolution were identified and evaluated for inclusion in this ranking.
To qualify for the ranking, a scientist’s D-index had to be at least 30, and the majority of their tier publications needed to be directly within the domain of Ecology and Evolution. Additionally, consideration was given to notable awards and achievements in the field, recognizing excellence beyond bibliometric measures.
The threshold for D-index qualification is dynamically adjusted in increments of 10, depending on the estimated total number of researchers in each discipline. This approach ensures that the ranking consistently incorporates the top 1% of leading scholars within the field. Furthermore, to maintain alignment between general and discipline-specific impact, a proximity of no more than 30% between a scientist’s general H-index and their D-index is required.
Verification Practices
We acknowledge that raw bibliometric data alone cannot fully and accurately reflect a scholar’s scientific contributions. In recognition of this, all scientist profiles included in the ranking were manually verified and cross-correlated against a broad spectrum of trusted publication sources to validate the accuracy of the data.
While the number of papers published in high-impact journals and prominent conference proceedings is not a direct factor influencing a researcher’s position in the Research.com ranking, it serves as a valuable secondary indicator of scholarly contribution within the specific area of science.
The position in the ranking is ultimately established by each researcher’s D-index based on data gathered from OpenAlex and CrossRef, which remain among the most prominent and reliable bibliometric databases available to the global research community.
For an in-depth overview of the methodology and verification process, please refer to our methodology page.
Research.com’s Mission Behind the Ranking
Research.com is committed to motivating researchers, industry leaders, and policymakers worldwide to track the trajectories and impact of leading experts. Our goal is to provide the scientific community with transparent, evidence-based access to who the foremost researchers are across specific fields, countries, and institutions.
By curating this carefully constructed and meticulously verified ranking, we aspire to facilitate collaboration, inform funding decisions, and advance scientific knowledge through recognizing and showcasing excellence in Ecology and Evolution research in Latvia.
