A total of 63 researchers from the University of Alicante (UA) are listed among the top 2% most cited scientists globally, according to the prestigious ranking compiled by researchers from Stanford University using data from Elsevier's Scopus database. This figure confirms the growing trajectory of the Alicante institution in international research. The study recognizes the leadership of authors in their respective disciplines based on the impact of their publications through citations received.
The excellence list distinguishes 43 researchers in the Career classification, which assesses impact throughout their entire research career, surpassing the 40 from the previous analysis. In the Single year classification, which focuses on the impact of work published in the last analyzed year, the UA has 46 scientists. A relevant fact is that 26 UA researchers appear simultaneously in both classifications, underscoring the consistent quality and top-tier current output of their research.
The leadership of the UA researchers is concentrated in areas such as Chemical Sciences, Applied Physics, and Optics, which maintain their historical strength. Furthermore, the institution is strengthening its presence in strategic fields like Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence (AI), as well as in disciplines with high social impact such as Microbiology, Ecology, Tourism, and Economics.
“"This represents sustained growth in recent years, evidencing the continuous improvement of research at UA. Our talent attraction strategy significantly contributes to our scientific leadership."
The Vice-Rector for Research at UA, Juan Mora, positively assessed the results, stating that they "reflect the quality of research developed at UA and the institution's commitment to scientific excellence." He added that "this is sustained growth in recent years, which demonstrates the continuous improvement of research conducted at UA" and emphasized "the importance of the talent attraction strategy developed by UA, which undoubtedly contributes significantly to strengthening and consolidating the university's scientific excellence."
The study, published annually since 2019 by researchers from Stanford University in collaboration with Elsevier-Scopus, considers parameters such as citations received, the number of authors, and their position in each article. Researchers are categorized into 22 different scientific fields, and the top 2% in each primary discipline are included.
