Thomson Scientific Analyzes Ten Years of Influential Research to Rank Top One Percent of Scientific Papers

Newly Published Study Ranks Countries by Volume of Research Output and Research Influence

16-May-2007

Thomson Scientific, part of The Thomson Corporation, announced the results of an in-depth study of which nations have produced the largest number of elite papers over the last decade. In the May/June issue of Science Watch 13 countries are ranked based on both the volume and percentage of published scientific papers (in journals listed in Thomson Scientific's Web of Science(R)) that reached the top one percent of most-cited papers worldwide.

"This survey takes a different approach when ranking elite papers both overall and in specialty fields," said Chris King, editor of Science Watch. "We examined these papers on a global scale and identified which nations are leading scientific thought across all concentrations."

The United States has produced a staggering number of scientific papers over the last decade - more than 2.9 million - and took the lead in both the total papers among the top one percent, and the percentage of total papers among the top one percent.

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"Considering the sheer volume of papers published by the United States, it is no surprise to see the country top the rankings of total number of papers among the top one percent," said King. "The fact that the U.S. also leads the rankings in percentage of papers among the top one percent demonstrates its tremendous influence on modern scientific thought."

Japan ranked second with 790,510 published papers or roughly one-third of the United States' publication output. England also had a profound influence by placing second highest in both total number of papers and percentage of papers among the top one percent by having published 660,808, or about one-fourth of the United States' total papers.

Total Papers in All Fields from 1996-2006 and Percentage of Papers Among Top 1%:

United States 2,907,592 (1.87% of Top 1%, Rank 1)

Japan 790,510 (0.72% of Top 1%, Rank 9)

Germany 742,917 (1.27% of Top 1%, Rank 4)

England 660,808 (1.53% of Top 1%, Rank 2)

France 535,629 (1.11% of Top 1%, Rank 6)

China 422,993 (0.52% of Top 1%, Rank 10)

Canada 394,727 (1.34% of Top 1%, Rank 3)

Italy 369,138 (1.04% of Top 1%, Rank 7)

Spain 263,469 (0.82% of Top 1%, Rank 8)

Australia 248,189 (1.13% of Top 1%, Rank 5)

India 211,063 (0.33% of Top 1%, Rank 13)