The University of Otago’s Oceanography Department has been ranked number one in the world according to a global ranking of oceanographic institutions published in the UK magazine Times Higher Education. The rankings were compiled by Thomson Reuters’ Essential Science Indicators and cover the period from January 2000 to December 2010.
The top ranking means that papers written by scientists from the University of Otago’s Oceanography Department had the highest citation impact on marine sciences in the last ten years globally. The rankings are calculated based on the number of citations received per paper from the varying departments surveyed.
The top one percent of articles were identified as “highly cited” papers and according to the THE, “some 387 oceanography papers were identified as such during the period measured and were cited 35,539 times, an average of 91.83 [each]. Thus, the top 18 institutions not only excelled in citation impact but also surpassed the average score for such influential reports.”
The University of Otago had 11 highly-cited papers and 1,628 citations with a whopping 148.00 citations per paper. In second place on the highly US dominated list was the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ranking third.
The oceanography program encompasses a range of research across the biological and physical sciences University of Otago Marine Science Professor Gary Wilson told the Otago Daily Times (ODT).
Wilson told the ODT that "while the ranking is only one statistical measure of research productivity and relevance, I think it recognises the interdisciplinary strength in oceanography here at Otago.”
"We have a number of excellent individual researchers contributing to and leading internationally collaborative programmes," Prof Wilson said.
With 10 papers and 1, 558 citations, Ken Buesseler, senior scientist and marine geochemist of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts holds the highest individual ranking.
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