A scientist’s position within the ranking is determined by their D-index (Discipline H-index). Unlike a traditional H-index, the D-index is discipline-specific, incorporating only publications and citations that fall strictly within the examined research area—in this case, Social Sciences and Humanities. This focused approach provides a more accurate reflection of a researcher’s impact within their designated field.
Scope of Research and Eligibility Criteria
The ranking is based on an extensive examination of 279,971 scientist profiles curated from various bibliometric data sources across all disciplines, of which 561 scientists were identified specifically in the Social Sciences and Humanities. To qualify for inclusion in this ranking, candidates must meet rigorous criteria, including a minimum D-index of 30. Additionally, the majority of their tier publications must be categorized within Social Sciences and Humanities research domains.
Alongside bibliometric thresholds, scientists’ awards and field-specific achievements were considered to further establish their leadership within the discipline. The selection process employs a calibrated D-index threshold strategy, incrementing in steps of 10 relative to the estimated population size of scholars in each discipline. This method ensures that the top 1% of leading experts are comprehensively incorporated into the list.
Finally, to confirm disciplinary focus and relevance, a scientist’s general H-index and discipline-specific D-index must align closely, with a proximity difference of no more than 30%. This criterion guards against misclassification by verifying that recognized impact in the overall research profile corresponds well with the specialized area of scholarship.
Verification and Methodological Rigor
At Research.com, we recognize that raw bibliometric data alone cannot serve as a definitive evaluation tool for the scholarly output of researchers. Accordingly, every scientist profile included in the ranking underwent a meticulous manual verification process. Profiles were cross-correlated against publications indexed in a broad array of high-quality, trustworthy sources to validate author identity and research contributions.
Although not directly contributing to the ranking score, the number of papers published in prominent journals and conference proceedings serves as a valuable secondary indicator of a scientist’s influence and research vitality within their discipline.
The ranking's core metric—the D-index—is derived strictly from data obtained via OpenAlex and CrossRef, which are widely recognized as leading bibliometric repositories within the global research community. These databases provide extensive coverage and authoritative citation data, reinforcing the credibility of the rankings presented.
We encourage a detailed review of the comprehensive methodology on our methodology page, which outlines all procedural components and validation practices underpinning this ranking.
Research.com’s Mission and Vision
Our mission at Research.com is to motivate researchers, corporate leaders, and policy makers worldwide to attentively analyze emerging trends within scientific disciplines and to illuminate the trajectories of leading experts across diverse fields of study. By offering transparent, data-driven rankings, we aim to provide the entire scientific community a reliable resource to identify who the foremost authorities are in specific research areas, within particular countries, and even across individual research institutions.
Through this initiative, we aspire to foster greater recognition of scholarly excellence and promote collaboration and informed decision-making that advances scientific progress globally.
