Good News About Irish Research

• The International View

• Outputs and Impact
• Success Stories
• Focus on Irish Research Impact

Updated: September 2010

 Top 20 Countries in All Fields 2008*

In 2008 Ireland appeared in the ‘Top

Countries in All Fields’ list for the first
time.

Currently at 19th place in the world,

we have moved up from 36th in the
world in 2003

* in terms of citations per paper)

Sources: http://sciencewatch.com/dr/cou/2008/08decALL/
http://www.in-cites.com/countries/2007allfields.html
http://www.in-cites.com/countries/ireland.html
Top 20 Countries in
All Fields 2009*
The number of research papers produced in the EU
has increased by over 100%

Source: National Science Indicators (Thomson Reuters)

Over the same period, the number of research papers
produced in Ireland has increased by over 300%

Source: National Science Indicators (Thomson Reuters)

Ireland has more than doubled its percentage share of world
research papers. Currently Ireland produces 0.44% of all
world research papers.
Source: National Science Indicators (Thomson Reuters)
In terms of research impact, Ireland has come
from behind to match the European average…

Source: National Science Indicators (Thomson Reuters)

… and Ireland now outstrips the European
cumulative citation impact

Average cumulative citations to cumulative papers 1981-2007

Source: National Science Indicators (Thomson Reuters)
Similarly, Ireland’s research impact has exceeded the
world average over the past 10 years, and is rising…

World
Baseline

Impact (cites per paper) relative to world average: Baseline=1.0

Source: National Science Indicators (Thomson Reuters)
GERD Intensity 2005 While Irish research funding has
As % of GDP increased, it was still below the EU-
27 average in 2005* and 2006*. The
excellence of Ireland’s research
performance can be seen when our
research impact is compared with
research expenditure internationally.

OECD average

EU average

Ireland

* the latest figures available from

OECD
Source: OECD SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND
INDUSTRY SCOREBOARD 2007
 Source: OECD Science,
Technology and Industry Outlook:
2008 (Complete Edition - ISBN
OECD EU 15 EU 27 EU 27 Ireland 9264049916)
Outputs and impact
Source of data: Essential Science Indicators (Thomson Reuters)
Source of data: Essential Science Indicators (Thomson Reuters)
Source of data: Essential Science Indicators (Thomson Reuters)
Success Stories
In terms of research impact* in May 2005 Irish
universities were in the top 1% research institutions in
the world in the following 10 fields:
1 BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
2 MICROBIOLOGY
3 CLINICAL MEDICINE
4 CHEMISTRY
5 PHYSICS
6 AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES
7 MATERIALS SCIENCE
8 PLANT & ANIMAL SCIENCE
9 ENGINEERING
10 SOCIAL SCIENCES, GENERAL

* measured by citations per paper; source: Thomson Reuters Essential Science Indicators,
accessed: May 1 2005
Between 2005 and 2009 the number of fields in which
Irish universities feature within the world top 1%
increased by 60%, with the addition of the following 6
fields:

1 MOLECULAR BIOLOGY & GENETICS

2 IMMUNOLOGY
3 NEUROSCIENCE & BEHAVIOR
4 PHARMACOLOGY & TOXICOLOGY
5 GEOSCIENCES
6 ENVIRONMENT/ECOLOGY

* measured by citations per paper

Source of data: Essential Science Indicators (Thomson Reuters), accessed March 2009
In terms of research impact* Irish universities are now in the top
1% research institutions in the world in the following 16 fields:

* measured by citations per paper

Source of data: Essential Science Indicators (Thomson Reuters), accessed March 2009
Ireland ranks No. 2 in the World in Immunology in 2007*
[currently Ireland is No.3 in the world]

“Another “small” country was able to impress… by

its surprisingly high average citation ratio; Ireland
(14.2) came in second worldwide leaving even the “big” USA
(13.5) behind in third place. France (12.7) and Scotland (12.5) followed in
fourth and fifth places respectively”.

* In terms of impact
(citations per paper)

Source: Ralf Neumann (2007)

‘Publication Analysis 2000-
2006 Immunology’ Lab Times
4, 38-41
http://www.lab-times.org/labtimes/issues/l
t2007/lt04/lt_2007_04_38_40.pdf
 Ireland is 6th in the
World in Molecular
Biology and Genetics

Source: Thomson Scientific 2007

http://scientific.thomsonreuters.com/press/pdf/tl/05
0808.pdf

http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:jsofRKzBh3wJ:
scientific.thomsonreuters.com/press/pdf/tl/050808.p
df+ireland+citations+ranking&hl=
en&ct=clnk&cd=17&gl=ie&lr=lang_en&client=firefox-a
Ireland is 7th in the World
in Biofuels*

* http://sciencewatch.com/ana/st/biofuels/nations /
Ireland is 8th in the
world
in Materials Science*

* Source: Times Higher Education,

August 26th 2010
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.
uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storyc
ode=413239&c=1
 Materials Science: Ireland comparison (in terms of impact)

Source: Thomson Reuters InCites (accessed September 10th 2010)

 Top 20 Countries in Multiple Sclerosis*
Ireland currently ranks at
14th in the world in
research into Multiple
Sclerosis, ahead of
Germany, France and
Australia

*measured by citations per paper 1998-2008; analysis based on 81 nations.

Source: Thomson Reuters ScienceWatch http://sciencewatch.com/ana/st/ms/nations/ September 2008

 Ireland is ranked 15th
in the World in
Psychiatry/Psychology

Source: Times Higher Education, 8 June 2008

http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=402206&sectio
ncode=26
 Ireland is ranked 17th
in the World in Neuroscience
and Behaviour

Source: Times Higher Education, 19 June 2008

http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode
=402477
 Top 20 Countries in MRSA
(Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus)

Ireland is ranked
17th
in the world in
research into
MRSA - ahead of
Spain, Sweden,
Germany in the
world top 20
countries in MRSA

Source: ScienceWatch
(Thomson Reuters)
http://sciencewatch.com/ana/st/m
rsa/nations/
Ireland is 18th in the
world in Quantum
Computers
 ScienceWatch lists
Ireland as a
Multidisciplinary ‘Rising
Star’ in 2009*

* http://sciencewatch.com/dr/rs/09sep-rs/
Physics: Impact of Ireland, Europe & the
World

Source: National Science Indicators (Thomson Reuters)

Immunology: Impact of Ireland, Europe & the World

Source: National Science Indicators (Thomson Reuters)

Materials Sciences: Impact of Ireland, Europe & the World

Source: National Science Indicators (Thomson Reuters)

Engineering: Impact of Ireland, Europe & the World

Source: National Science Indicators (Thomson Reuters)

Engineering: Impact of Ireland, Europe, the OECD &
the World

Source: National Science Indicators (Thomson Reuters)

Energy & Fuels - Impact of Ireland, Europe, the OECD & the World

Source: National Science Indicators (Thomson Reuters)

Clinical Medicine: Impact of Ireland, Europe &
the World

Source: National Science Indicators (Thomson Reuters)

Clinical Medicine: Impact of Ireland, Europe, the OECD & the World

Source: National Science Indicators (Thomson Reuters)

Biology: Impact of Ireland, Europe & the World

Source: National Science Indicators (Thomson Reuters)

 Biology: Impact of Ireland, Europe, the OECD
& the World

Source: National Science Indicators (Thomson Reuters)

 Focus on Irish Research Impact
Example:

Emerging International Research Front in

Alzheimers Disease started with a paper led by
Irish scientists in 2002
 Alzheimers Disease Breakthrough:
New Research Front led by
Irish Scientists

“This work suggests that the

amyloid ß-protein is responsible
for the memory loss that
characterizes AD [Alzheimers
Disease]”.
“AD is a growing scourge which places a
huge burden on society and health care
providers. Without an effective treatment
this burden will steadily increase as the
world's population continues to age.
Thus it is essential that useful
new therapeutics be developed
as rapidly as possible. By Core paper:
highlighting the role of soluble Label: Walsh-2002
Title: Naturally secreted oligomers of amyloid beta protein
Aß in AD we hope we may have potently inhibit hippocampal long-term potentiation in
speeded this development.” vivo
Journal: NATURE, 416 (6880): 535-539 APR 4 2002
http://sciencewatch.com/dr/erf/2008/08junerf/08junerfWals
hSelkoe/
Citations: 785
Authors: Walsh, DM;Klyubin, I;Fadeeva, JV;Cullen,
http://sciencewatch.com/dr/erf/maps/08jun_bio/#12906984 WK;Anwyl, R;Wolfe, MS;Rowan, MJ;Selkoe, DJ
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