Stockholm University researchers most cited

The report compares Sweden's production of highly cited publications with similar production from three other countries: Denmark, the Netherlands and Switzerland.

The proportion of highly cited publications is a factor affecting a country's average citation rate. The report is based on a detailed study of these publications and it shows that several European countries have moved closer to the Swedish citation rate.

Sweden lags behind

"The main conclusion of the analysis is that Sweden produces fewer highly cited publications than the comparison countries. Sweden lags in particular behind when it comes to publications that are not based on international cooperation," says Staffan Karlsson, lead-author of the Swedish Research Council report.

Sweden has long been in sixth place among the world's research nations, when measuring average citation of scientific publications. Denmark, however, has passed Sweden and Danish publications are cited far more often than Swedish publications.

International cooperation

"The debate often focuses on the importance of international cooperation, because the most important publications are often the result of international collaboration," says Staffan Karlsson.

Stockholm University number one in Sweden

Looking at individual universities in Sweden, only Stockholm University reaches up to the citation rate of the Danes and the Dutch with 32 percent over the average. After Stockholm University come Karolinska Institutet (21 percent above the average), and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (20 percent).

Bibliometric analyses underway

International cooperation behind scientific publications will also be highlighted in reports from the Network NORIA-net, funded by NordForsk. It will result in two bibliometric analysis of the Nordic countries. These will be available in the coming months.

Download the report (in Swedish with English summary)

Text: Per Larsson/Daniel Holmberg