India has been ranked as the fourth largest producer of research output in the world, according to the prestigious QS World University Rankings. However, the country’s ranking has slipped to the ninth position in terms of citations, indicating that Indian researchers are not being cited as often as their peers in other countries.
The QS World University Rankings analyzed data from over 1,300 universities across 93 countries to determine the rankings. The rankings take into account factors such as research output, teaching quality, academic reputation, and employer reputation.
QS World Ranking -India’s Rapidly Growing Research Output
India’s research output score in the QS rankings was 96.5, which places it ahead of countries like Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom. However, the country’s citation score was just 57.3, which puts it in the ninth position globally. This means that Indian research papers are not being cited as often as papers from other countries with similar levels of research output.
India’s research output has been growing rapidly in recent years, with a 54% increase between 2017 and 2022, according to the research insights database SciVal.
This growth rate is more than double the global average of 22%, and far greater than that of its western counterparts. India’s research output was the fourth highest worldwide, behind China, the US, and the UK.
India Ranks 9th in Citations Despite High Research Output
While this is good news for India, the country’s research output doesn’t tell the full story. The number of citations that India’s research papers generate is a real indicator of the merit of an academic paper. Unfortunately, India falls behind in this metric, ranking ninth in the world for citations generated, with 8.9 million citations.
This suggests that more effort and funding should be directed towards high-quality, relevant research, and ensuring that this research is disseminated among the scholarly community.
Comparison with China’s Research Output and Citations
China, on the other hand, has a scientific output that is more than triple India’s size and generates five times as many citations. India’s most prolific field of research is engineering and technology, followed by natural sciences and life sciences, and medicine.
India produces 19% of its research output along with international collaborators, which is in keeping with the global average of 21%.
Fields of Research and International Collaborations
India’s 11 public and private Institutes of Eminence have produced more than 150,000 academic papers, generated 1.4 million citations, and recorded an average research growth rate of 35% since 2017. However, this growth rate is still lower than the national average of 54%, suggesting that the government could do more to boost research funding at prestigious institutes.
The heavy lifting that boosts the overall national average is done by a cluster of high-performing universities outside the elite circle.
“When compared with China’s 11 most prolific research institutions… it is apparent that China’s universities remain significantly more productive and experience greater growth,” said QS in the India Research profile report.
Need for More Funding and Focus on High-Quality Research
Experts believe that there are several factors contributing to this trend. One factor is the quality of research being produced in India. While the quantity of research output has increased, the quality of research has not kept pace.
Many research papers from India are not considered to be of the same high quality as those produced by researchers in other countries.
Another factor is the lack of funding for research in India. Despite the government’s efforts to increase funding for research and development, India still lags behind other countries in terms of research funding.
This lack of funding can lead to a lack of resources for conducting high-quality research and can make it difficult for Indian researchers to publish their findings in top-tier journals.
Summary
India is one of the fastest-growing research hubs in the world, but not all of that research matters. While the country’s research output is impressive, it needs to focus on improving its rank in the number of citations generated to make a real impact in the global research community.
The government should increase funding for research and development, encourage collaboration with international researchers, and focus on producing high-quality, relevant research to improve India’s research impact.
Also Read: Top 50 Research Institutions in India 2023
