Global optometrist top 200 research ranking.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology and Optometry Research
• Bibliometrics and Scientometrics
• Scientific Publication Analysis

Background:

• Clinical optometric practice relies on evidence from peer-reviewed scientific journals.
• Identifying and recognizing leading researchers is crucial for advancing the field.
• This study aims to quantify and rank global optometric researchers based on publication output.

Purpose of the Study:

• To derive and present publication metrics for leading optometric researchers worldwide.
• To establish a ranking of the top 200 most impactful optometrists based on bibliometric data.
• To identify key institutions and geographical distributions of top-tier optometric research.

Main Methods:

• Conducted a global search to identify 480 potential leading optometric researchers.
• Utilized a custom bibliographic search tool to extract publication metrics from the Scopus database.
• Ranked optometrists by h-index to determine the 'Global Optometrist Top 200 Research Ranking'.

Main Results:

• The Top 200 optometrists have h-indices from 20 to 67, with Konrad Pesudovs ranking highest (h-index 67).
• Robert Hess is the most prolific author (442 papers), and David Piñero publishes at the fastest rate (17.6 papers/year).
• The majority of top researchers are based in the USA (38.0%), Australia (21.5%), UK (20.5%), and Canada (8.0%).

Conclusions:

• The optometric profession is supported by a robust international research base.
• A cohort of highly cited international researchers significantly contributes to ophthalmic knowledge.
• This ranking identifies the 200 most impactful optometrists globally based on their research output.