TL;DR:
- Selection for the World’s Top 2% Scientists list is automatic and based on Scopus citation data, not applications.
- Any institution type can be represented, as long as researchers are indexed in Scopus with accurate, consistent affiliations.
- Keeping Scopus author profiles merged and up to date improves how publications and citations are counted for the evaluation
How Eligibility Is Determined
How Eligibility Is Determined and Are Independent Labs Eligible for Top 2% Scientists? The World’s Top 2% Scientists list is compiled by Stanford University in collaboration with Elsevier using citation data from the Scopus database. Researchers are not added by request; instead, inclusion is automatic based on a composite citation metric called the c‑score. You can also read this article which explains the Selection Criteria and Methodology of Top 2% Scientists List
Scientists qualify if they are either among the top 100,000 researchers globally by c‑score or within the top 2 percent of their subfield, according to standardized field and subfield classifications. This approach ensures that impactful researchers from both large and niche disciplines can appear on the list.
Role of Affiliation and Institution Type
Eligibility does not depend on whether a researcher is at a university, an independent lab, a non‑profit, a hospital, or a company. What matters is how the author and their affiliation appear in Scopus for the publications that contribute to their citation record.
If a scientist consistently uses the same institutional name on their papers, Scopus can better group their work under a single author profile, which then feeds into the evaluation for the Top 2% list. Inconsistent or missing affiliations can make it harder for the dataset to correctly attribute citations and may indirectly affect ranking.
Citation Metrics and the c‑Score
The c‑score used for the ranking combines several bibliometric indicators derived from Scopus. These include total citations, h‑index, a co‑authorship‑adjusted h‑index (Hm‑index), and citations to single‑author, first‑author, and last‑author papers.
By weighting authorship positions and discounting self‑citations, the methodology aims to capture both the volume and influence of a researcher’s contributions, rather than just raw citation counts. This score is then compared across peers within the same field or subfield to determine whether a researcher falls into the top 2 percent.
Practical Steps for Researchers
Although scientists cannot apply directly to be evaluated, there are practical steps that can improve how their work is represented in the underlying data. Maintaining an accurate Scopus author profile, including correct affiliation, merged duplicate profiles, and complete publication lists, helps ensure that citation metrics are calculated correctly.
Researchers can also focus on publishing in reputable venues, building a coherent body of work, and increasing the visibility and impact of their research, all of which contribute to higher citation performance and a stronger chance of meeting the thresholds used in the Top 2% Scientists list.
Searchable Database for Top 2% Scientists
Visit TOPSCINET.com
If your name appears in the search results, claim your profile using your institutional email to update your social media links and enhance your online presence.
