China ranks 1st in world in scientific research output, most-cited papers: report
August 9, 2023
China has produced around a quarter of all scientific papers published worldwide, a recent report revealed.
About the report: According to an annual report released on Tuesday by Japan’s education ministry, China ranked first for the second year in a row in published scientific papers — producing around 24.6% of the world’s total — and published nearly 30% of the top 10% and 1% most-cited papers. The East Asian nation has had the most-cited papers since 2018 and has been in the top 1% since 2019.
The report is based on data from analytics company Clarivate. According to Nikkei Asia, scientific research capabilities “determine future market shares in artificial intelligence, quantum technology and other cutting-edge fields, and may have a direct impact on national security as well.”
China versus the U.S.: According to the report, 61% of citations of Chinese papers were by Chinese researchers, while only 29% of citations of U.S. papers were by American researchers.
The report noted that China only accounts for about 20% of the papers published in renowned scientific journals Nature and Science, which is far behind America’s roughly 70% share in both journals.
Japan falls behind: As for neighboring country Japan, the East Asian nation’s ranking fell from 12th place to 13th place, falling behind Iran. This is reportedly due in part to Japan’s slow growth in doctoral degree holders.
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