Five faculty members and researchers from the Polytechnic Institute of Guarda (IPG) are among the “top 2% most cited scientists in the world,” according to a list compiled by Stanford University in the United States.
In collaboration with the scientific publishing company Elsevier, the ‘World’s Top 2% Scientists 2025’ list includes André Moreira, Filipa Melo, Luís Rodrigues da Silva, Paula Coutinho, and Sónia Miguel, all from the School of Health Sciences (ESS), as revealed by a statement from the Polytechnic Institute of Guarda to the Lusa news agency.
The faculty members are part of “a select group of researchers with significant global scientific impact, according to citation indicators from the Scopus database, one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive platforms for indexing scientific publications, also managed by Elsevier.”
Maximiano Rodrigues, vice-president of the IPG, stated in the release that “the fact that the Polytechnic has researchers among the most cited worldwide demonstrates that even outside major centers, we produce excellent science capable of impacting the world.”
He further noted that with the IPG’s “continued investment” in Research & Development (R&D) and the “dedication and excellence” of its researchers, “this trajectory of growth and innovation will continue to inspire new generations and affirm the role of the Polytechnic Institute of Guarda as a reference in knowledge and science.”
This year, the ranking edition includes about 236,000 scientists from all fields of knowledge, among them 984 researchers from Portuguese higher education institutions. The University of Minho, for instance, includes 69 researchers.
The Polytechnic Institute of Guarda has five researchers listed in the ‘World’s Top 2% Scientists 2025’.
“This international recognition is a source of great pride for the entire academic community of the IPG and reflects our researchers’ commitment to producing top-notch scientific output that seeks to address global issues,” said Joaquim Brigas, president of the Polytechnic Institute of Guarda.
According to Brigas, “with its strong emphasis on research, innovation, and international cooperation, the IPG has been establishing itself as an engine of scientific and technological development in the country’s interior.”
The Polytechnic explained that the ‘The World’s Top 2% Scientists’ list is based on standardized citation metrics that include “total citations, h-index (for example, if a researcher has an h-index of 10, it means they have at least 10 articles that have been cited 10 or more times), hm-index (adjusted for co-authorship), and a composite indicator that considers authorship position and minimizes self-citation impact.”
The data used were extracted from the Scopus database and are updated until the end of 2024.
Currently, the IPG is involved in six active Research & Development units across various scientific and technological areas with positive ratings from the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), four of which are rated “Very Good.”
