And promise Martyrdom One of the main evaluation metrics that has received significant attention over the past decades. Citations have been used in correct and effective ways, and in incorrect and absurd ways alike.

In any case, since researchers are key actors in the science and research ecosystem, their assessment based on the number and percentage of citations they receive can be one indicator of their influence in specialized subject areas.

On this basis, one of the systems for evaluating researchers that has emerged over the past few years and which is useful is to evaluate researchers based on the number and percentage of citations they receive and identify the most prominent 2% of them.

Stanford University researchers presented the methodology for this Evaluation system For the first time, this system is now being updated in Publishing House “Al-Zuwayr” based on data from the “Scopes” citation database.

In this evaluation system, publication and citation data are analyzed in 22 comprehensive main subject areas and 174 specialized sub-fields.

In each scientific discipline, researchers who receive the highest number and percentage of citations and are in the top 2% of the list are recognized as distinguished researchers.

This report is available via the Digital Object Identifier (DOI): https://doi.org/10.17632/btchxktzyw.8

The “Top 2% of Researchers” index evaluates the citation performance of authors based on their C-score or Composite Score in various subject areas. In each scientific discipline, researchers with the highest composite score who are in the top 2% of the list are recognized as distinguished researchers.

The Composite Score is used as a main tool in evaluating the scientific impact of researchers in the world of science. This evaluation is calculated by combining six different metrics:

“Total number of citations NC, H-index, co-authorship-adjusted Hm, number of citations to works by a single author or NCS, number of citations to works by a single author or in which the researcher was the first author NCSF, and the number of citations to works by a single author or in which the researcher was the first or last author NCSFL, for the researchers’ evaluation.

Researchers are shortlisted in the top 2% who obtain a higher composite score compared to their colleagues in the same subject area.

The subject area of ​​researchers – that is, the field in which the researcher competes with others – is determined based on their publications in journals that fall under a specific subject category in the Science-Metrix database. Thus, a researcher may be classified in a field that he himself does not necessarily agree is his main field.

Based on the recent report issued by Publishing House “Al-Zuwayr”, which was published in 2025, included the names of 2,772 Iranian researchers on a list The most prominent 2% of researchers In the world. In the previous version of this classification system, the number Iranian researchers In this list 2503 researchers.

In total, the annual performance list includes 236,313 researchers from all over the world, including 2,552 researchers from Iran.

As for a list Comprehensive professional performance It includes 230,333 researchers from all over the world, including 1,206 researchers from Iran.

As most Iranian researchers In this list they have conducted their research in the fields of medicine, chemistry, engineering, andEnabling technologies And strategy.

In the annual performance list, the field of medicine occupies the lead with 853 Iranian researchers, while in the comprehensive professional performance list, the field of engineering takes the lead with 287 Iranian researchers.