Times Higher Education rating 76 – what lies behind this rise

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Autumn is the time of University Rankings. In August we got Shanghai, in September QS World University and now Times Higher Education (THE). The latter offered the University of Helsinki a considerable rise from place 103 to 76.

Let´s see more detailed which role the bibliometric methods play in these results. In the Shanghai ranking they comprise 40% of the total result, in the QS ranking only 20%. In the THE ranking references bring 30% of the result and publication volume 6%.

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Sometimes databases can play a central role. Instead of Web of Science, THE is now for the first time using Scopus. This crossover has also raised the rankings of other European and Finnish universities in contrast to American Universities whose ratings now sank. However, also QS uses Scopus but in its ratings the ranking of the University of Helsinki has sunk. Explanation to this is the significant change which has taken place in the means of measuring. Five of the largest disciplines are now equally emphasized. In this method medicine and natural sciences usually lose impact in publication ratings.

 Library and Metrics Tools

Shanghai ranking uses the Web of Science in its quantitative method likewise Taiwan (TNU) ranking, which results we expect in October. TNU rankings are solely based on the bibliometric indicators.

Both Web of Science and Scopus are accessible in the University of Helsinki network, likewise the Analyzing tools of these databases: InCites and SciVal. The Helsinki University Library´s Metrics team actively uses these tools as part of their analysis.

Text: Eva Isaksson
Translation and editing: Ursula Virolainen