Science should move past ‘top 2%’ label

Indian scientists, like scientists everywhere, deserve recognition for the work they do in advancing knowledge. International visibility is one such form of recognition. Recent media reports stated that India’s presence in the “top 2% scientists’ database” is on the rise. Irrespective of whether Indian scientists are included in these lists or not, many of them make important research contributions. Their work must be recognised on its own merits. However, it becomes a concern when inclusion in a database becomes a target or when exclusion is mistaken for lack of worth.

John Loannidis and his collaborators, the creators of the “top 2% scientists’ database”, have cautioned against treating inclusion in the database as conclusive evidence of research excellence. First, the database relies on publication and citation records from Scopus without checking for their originality. Second, the accuracy of author profiles and classification of disciplines affect the results. Third, it does not consider contributions published in regional languages.