15%
A) Core Output & Scale

The Core Output & Scale indicator evaluates the research production strength of an entity by analyzing how much scholarly work it has contributed, how consistently it produces research, and how its output is growing over time.

This indicator does not look at quantity alone. It studies both research scale and research momentum, helping identify authors, institutions, publishers, sources, funders, and research organizations that demonstrate active and sustainable contribution to the global scholarly ecosystem.

Within the UNIRANKS Open Index framework, this indicator helps answer a simple but important question:

How strong and active is this entity in producing scholarly research?

Research output is one of the clearest signs of academic activity. A researcher, institution, or publisher with a strong and consistent body of work is more visible, more active, and more likely to contribute to knowledge development.

However, large output alone is not enough. Some entities may have a long history but limited recent growth, while others may be smaller but growing rapidly. This is why Core Output & Scale combines both overall production and growth performance.

This creates a more balanced evaluation of research activity.

Weight: 3%
Overall scholarly production strength

The Total Work Score evaluates the overall strength of an entity’s indexed scholarly production. It reflects the total research contribution available within the Open Index dataset, including articles, conference papers, books, chapters, preprints, and other scholarly outputs where available.

This score helps identify entities with a broad and established research footprint.

It considers:

• Total indexed scholarly works
• Research production volume
• Long-term contribution to academic knowledge
• Relative production strength compared with similar entities

The score is normalized so entities can be compared fairly within their relevant category.

Weight: 2%
Number of indexed research works

The Total Work Count represents the direct number of research works connected to an entity.

This is the raw publication count used as a foundation for measuring research scale. It helps show how much scholarly material has been produced, indexed, and connected to the entity.

Examples include:

• Works authored by a researcher
• Works affiliated with an institution
• Works published by a source or publisher
• Works linked to a funder or research organization

While this number is important, it is not used alone to define research excellence. It supports the broader scoring model by giving a measurable view of research volume.

Weight: 3%
Productivity and publication performance

The Research Output Score evaluates publication performance beyond simple counting. It looks at how effectively an entity produces research in relation to its category, field, and historical activity.

This sub-indicator helps distinguish between passive research presence and active scholarly productivity.

It may consider:

• Recent publication activity
• Average output over selected years
• Consistency of research production
• Field-adjusted output comparison
• Output performance against similar entities

This score supports a fairer view of productivity, especially when comparing entities across different sizes, disciplines, and research environments.

Weight: 3%
Research expansion and yearly growth

The Output Growth Rate measures how research production changes over time. It evaluates whether an entity’s scholarly output is increasing, stable, or declining across selected years.

This is important because research ecosystems are dynamic. A growing institution, emerging researcher, or expanding journal may show strong future potential even if its total historical output is still developing.

This sub-indicator may evaluate:

• Year-over-year output growth
• Recent growth compared with previous periods
• Stability of research expansion
• Positive or negative publication trends
• Growth momentum across multiple years

This helps the Open Index recognize rising research activity, not only long-established volume.

Weight: 4%
Combined balance of scale and momentum

The Output Growth & Scale Score combines research volume with research growth. It is designed to reward entities that demonstrate both a meaningful research base and strong development momentum.

This sub-indicator prevents the methodology from favoring only very large entities or only fast-growing entities. Instead, it identifies those that show a healthy balance between current scale and future potential.

It considers:

• Total research output
• Recent growth performance
• Output consistency
• Scale-adjusted momentum
• Long-term and short-term productivity balance

This is the highest-weighted sub-indicator within Core Output & Scale because it gives the most complete picture of research production strength.

The UNIRANKS Open Index methodology is built around multiple interconnected indicators designed to evaluate research ecosystems from different perspectives, including scholarly impact, openness, collaboration, trust, growth, societal contribution, and ecosystem alignment.

Each indicator explores a unique dimension of research performance to provide a broader and more balanced understanding of global scholarly activity beyond traditional ranking models.

A) Core Output & Scale: 15%

Measuring the Foundation of Research Activity

Evaluate scholarly production volume, publication growth, productivity performance, and research scale across the global academic ecosystem.

Explore Core Output & Scale →

B) Impact & Excellence: 20%

Understanding Scholarly Influence and Research Recognition

Analyze citation impact, academic influence, research excellence, and the global visibility of scholarly contributions.

Explore Impact & Excellence →

C) Quality, Trust & Integrity: 15%

Evaluating Reliability and Research Credibility

Measure research trustworthiness through integrity indicators, publication quality signals, indexing standards, and scholarly reliability metrics.

Explore Quality, Trust & Integrity →

D) Open Science & Accessibility: 10%

Measuring Openness and Knowledge Accessibility

Assess open access availability, public research visibility, accessibility practices, and participation in open scholarly ecosystems.

Explore Open Science & Accessibility →

E) Collaboration & Global Reach: 15%

Mapping Research Connectivity Across Borders

Evaluate international collaboration, institutional partnerships, co-authorship networks, and global scholarly engagement.

Explore Collaboration & Global Reach →

F) Portfolio Strength & Momentum: 10%

Analyzing Research Diversity and Development Trends

Measure the breadth, sustainability, specialization, and evolving momentum of scholarly research portfolios over time.

Explore Portfolio Strength & Momentum →

G) Knowledge Transfer & Societal Influence: 10%

Measuring Research Contribution Beyond Academia

Evaluate how research supports innovation, policy development, industry engagement, education, healthcare, sustainability, and societal advancement.

Explore Knowledge Transfer & Societal Influence →

H) OI Alignment: 05%

Measuring Ecosystem Compatibility and Open Index Readiness

Assess how effectively entities align with the UNIRANKS Open Index framework, structured scholarly ecosystems, openness standards, and research connectivity models.

Explore OI Alignment →

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