Monash takes Australian top spot in prestigious Nature Index
Monash University has taken top spot in Australia in the global rankings of the influential Nature Index, which measures universities’ contribution to high-quality scientific research papers. This is a shift from the number two spot in 2016.
The University ranked first in Australia and 90th globally, according to the latest annual tables from the Nature Index, recently published by the Nature Publishing Group.
The Nature Index is based on an institution’s contributions to the publisher’s top-tier journals, taking in about 60,000 high-quality papers each year. It counts both the number of articles (AC) by Universities and research institutions, and the relative contribution of the authors using the Weighted Fractional count (WFC).
The Nature Index Annual Tables are a snapshot of the Nature Index which is updated monthly.
According to the latest results, Australia placed 12th globally for its contribution to scientific research papers. Australia has ten universities and one research group (CSIRO) in the top 500 institutions in the index, which tracks over 8,000 institutions worldwide. The US leads the index, followed by China, Germany, the UK and Japan.
The Nature Index shows Monash researchers contributing to 401 articles in 2016. These articles were primarily in the area of Chemistry where Monash was placed 89th globally. The University was also listed in the top 100 globally for its contribution in Earth and Environmental Sciences, where it ranked 61st.
Monash University Provost, Marc Parlange, said the University’s impressive Nature Index ranking highlighted the significant contribution Monash academics were making to global scientific research.
“Our number one position in Australia is testament to the number of contributions our academics have made to high-quality scientific research papers over the past 12 months and reflects the ongoing commitment of our academics and the impact of their work.”
“This is about impact of our research on industry and on the lives of people around the world that has far-reaching and positive effects,” Professor Parlange said.