Why it matters:
Iran’s growing presence in global research rankings comes despite years of sanctions, budgetary limitations caused by external pressures, and obstacles to international collaboration imposed by Western policies, which were aimed at isolating its scientific community.
The big picture:
The data comes from the updated science-wide author databases of standardized citation indicators, a Stanford-linked dataset widely used to assess researcher performance.
The September 19 release — the eighth edition — reported significant growth for Iran both in annual performance and career-long citations.
Tehran cites this as clear evidence of resilience in the face of international pressure on its research institutions.
By the numbers:
Annual performance index: Iranian highly cited researchers increased from 2,326 in 2023 to 2,533 in 2024, a rise of 207.
Career-long index: The figure rose from 1,018 in 2023 to 1,201 in 2024 — nearly triple the level recorded in 2019 (433).
What they’re saying:
Salehi: “This shows the rising impact and quality of our country’s scientific production. The progress has been achieved despite budgetary limitations, sanctions, and infrastructural challenges.”
He explained that the rankings use Scopus data and standard scientometric indicators such as citation counts, h-index, c-score, and authorship positions.
The single-year index measures citations received in 2024 alone, while the career-long index covers all citations up to the end of 2024.
Go deeper:
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