THE WEIZMANN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE IS NINTH IN THE WORLD IN RESEARCH QUALITY
REHOVOT, ISRAEL—July 9, 2018—The Weizmann Institute of Science has placed ninth in an international ranking of research quality. This is the second time that the Institute has ranked in the top 10 best research institutes in the world. (The Institute placed 10th in the 2015 ranking.) The assessment comes from the annual Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS) Leiden Ranking, Leiden University, the Netherlands.
The Leiden ranking, which includes nearly 1,000 of the top universities worldwide, is based on a number of bibliometric indicators, such as published scientific research and citations, rather than subjective survey questions. Among other things, the ratio of citations to published papers is considered to be an indication of the quality of the research.
The Weizmann Institute of Science’s high place in a ranking that assesses research quality is evidence of the continual, significant improvement in the already excellent research of Institute scientists. A decade ago, the Institute placed 19th in the Leiden ranking, and was one of the top three in the non-American list; in 2015 it had risen to 10th, and was the only one outside of the U.S. in the top 10. In the present ranking, which is based on figures from 2013-2016, the Institute has risen to ninth place in the world.
Other facts:
- 20% of the scientific articles published by Weizmann Institute scientists were included in the list of the top 10% of the most influential scientific articles.
- 2.1% of the Weizmann Institute’s scientific articles were in the top 1% of the most highly influential scientific articles, and 67% were in the top half in terms of influence.
- In the period of the current ranking (2013-2016), 2,526 scientific articles received 33,164 citations.
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The Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, is one of the world’s top-ranking multidisciplinary research institutions. The Institute’s 3,800-strong scientific community engages in research addressing crucial problems in medicine and health, energy, technology, agriculture, and the environment. Outstanding young scientists from around the world pursue advanced degrees at the Weizmann Institute’s Feinberg Graduate School. The discoveries and theories of Weizmann Institute scientists have had a major impact on the wider scientific community, as well as on the quality of life of millions of people worldwide.
