2020 Research Leaders: Leading academic institutions

The 2020 Research Leaders are based on Nature Index data from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2019.

Table criteria

Position Institution Share 2018 Share 2019 Count 2019 Change in Adjusted Share* 2018–2019
1 Bilkent University, Turkey 7.81 13.59 27 68.3% Increase
2 Istanbul Technical University (ITU), Turkey 13.31 12.07 96 -12.2% Decrease
3 Boğaziçi University (BU), Turkey 3.18 5.03 137 53.2% Increase
4 Koç University (KU), Turkey 4.49 3.44 17 -25.8% Decrease
5 Middle East Technical University (METU), Turkey 5.04 2.75 86 -47.2% Decrease
6 Izmir Institute of Technology (IZTECH), Turkey 1.45 2.65 40 77.5% Increase
7 Sabanci University (SU), Turkey 2.26 2.00 11 -14.4% Decrease
8 Kocaeli University, Turkey 1.99 1.42 4 -31.1% Decrease
9 Ankara University, Turkey 0.84 1.42 70 63.0% Increase
10 Ege University, Turkey 2.00 1.37 5 -33.6% Decrease
11 Istanbul University, Turkey 2.57 1.09 67 -58.8% Decrease
12 Gazi University, Turkey 0.73 0.91 5 21.4% Increase
13 Hacettepe University, Turkey 1.28 0.89 43 -32.6% Decrease
14 Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Turkey 1.00 0.80 5 -22.5% Decrease
15 Çukurova University, Turkey 1.16 0.80 71 -33.0% Decrease
16 Gebze Technical University (GYTE), Turkey 3.19 0.76 4 -77.0% Decrease
17 Dokuz Eylül University, Turkey 0.60 0.73 13 18.1% Increase
18 Marmara University, Turkey 0.43 0.63 42 43.9% Increase
19 Abdullah Gül University, Turkey 0.12 0.57 3 346.9% Increase
20 Özyeğin University, Turkey 0.05 0.56 36 906.0% Increase
21 Medipol University, Turkey 0.00 0.53 3 0.0% Increase
22 Ataturk University, Turkey 0.17 0.52 2 202.9% Increase
23 Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University (BAIBU), Turkey 0.09 0.52 2 454.3% Increase
24 Uşak University, Turkey 0.00 0.50 2 0.0% Increase
24 Akdeniz University, Turkey 0.13 0.50 1 261.3% Increase
25 Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University (COMU), Turkey 0.25 0.43 4 66.2% Increase
26 Uludag University, Turkey 0.17 0.41 9 142.0% Increase
27 Aydın Adnan Menderes University (ADU), Turkey 0.10 0.41 2 295.1% Increase
28 Doğuş University (DOU), Turkey 1.96 0.40 3 -80.1% Decrease
29 Anadolu University, Turkey 1.02 0.40 1 -62.1% Decrease
30 Yildiz Technical University (YTU), Turkey 0.27 0.38 2 36.0% Increase
31 Giresun University, Turkey 0.34 0.34 23 -3.5% Decrease
32 University of Turkish Aeronautical Association (UTAA), Turkey 0.25 0.33 1 29.0% Increase
32 Suleyman Demirel University, Turkey 0.63 0.33 1 -49.1% Decrease
33 Selcuk University, Turkey 0.00 0.33 2 0.0% Increase
34 Istanbul Bilgi University, Turkey 0.20 0.22 109 6.6% Increase
35 Bahcesehir University (BAU), Turkey 0.02 0.22 49 966.3% Increase
36 Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University (MSKU), Turkey 0.14 0.20 1 35.5% Increase
36 Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University, Turkey 0.08 0.20 1 132.2% Increase
36 Inonu University, Turkey 0.00 0.20 3 0.0% Increase
37 Sinop University, Turkey 0.01 0.19 37 1,306.2% Increase
38 Adıyaman University, Turkey 0.03 0.18 36 557.7% Increase
39 Karadeniz Technical University (KTU), Turkey 0.62 0.17 3 -74.0% Decrease
40 Karamanoğlu Mehmetbey University (KMU), Turkey 0.00 0.16 36 3,821.8% Increase
41 Erciyes University, Turkey 0.38 0.16 2 -60.0% Decrease
42 Izmir Kâtip Celebi University, Turkey 0.11 0.13 3 10.9% Increase
43 Bursa Technical University (BTU), Turkey 0.00 0.13 1 0.0% Increase
43 Eskisehir Osmangazi University, Turkey 0.00 0.13 2 0.0% Increase
44 Namik Kemal University, Turkey 0.00 0.12 2 0.0% Increase
45 Yeditepe University, Turkey 0.00 0.12 7 0.0% Increase
46 Hasan Kalyoncu University (HKU), Turkey 0.03 0.10 3 182.6% Increase
47 Bartin University, Turkey 0.00 0.10 2 0.0% Increase
48 University of Health Sciences (SBU), Turkey 0.20 0.09 3 -55.7% Decrease
49 Istanbul Medeniyet University (IMU), Turkey 0.20 0.08 1 -59.7% Decrease
50 Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Turkey 0.26 0.08 36 -71.0% Decrease
51 Trakya University, Turkey 0.03 0.08 2 205.3% Increase
52 Mustafa Kemal University, Turkey 0.00 0.07 1 0.0% Increase
53 Near East University (NEU), Turkey 0.03 0.06 26 131.3% Increase
54 Altinbas University, Turkey 0.00 0.06 1 0.0% Increase
55 Bülent Ecevit University, Turkey 0.06 0.06 1 -14.0% Decrease
56 Gulhane Military Medical Academy (GMMA), Turkey 0.00 0.06 2 0.0% Increase
57 Istanbul Aydin University (IAU), Turkey 0.05 0.05 87 1.0% Increase
58 University of Gaziantep (GAUN), Turkey 0.06 0.05 52 -30.3% Decrease
59 Necmettin Erbakan University, Turkey 0.01 0.04 2 322.2% Increase
60 Harran University, Turkey 0.04 0.04 1 -8.8% Decrease
60 Adana Alparslan Türkeş Science and Technology University (ATU), Turkey 0.00 0.04 1 0.0% Increase
60 Dicle University, Turkey 0.12 0.04 1 -69.6% Decrease
61 Yozgat Bozok University, Turkey 0.00 0.04 37 0.0% Increase
62 Erzincan Binali Yıldırım University, Turkey 0.01 0.04 10 261.4% Increase
63 Celal Bayar University (CBÜ), Turkey 0.00 0.03 1 0.0% Increase
64 KTO Karatay University, Turkey 0.03 0.03 17 8.7% Increase
65 Faculty of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences, MEF University, Turkey 0.00 0.03 1 0.0% Increase
66 Haliç University, Turkey 0.00 0.03 1 0.0% Increase
67 TOBB University of Economics and Technology, Turkey 0.95 0.03 52 -97.3% Decrease
68 Duzce University, Turkey 0.00 0.03 1 0.0% Increase
69 Bezmialem Vakıf University, Turkey 0.00 0.03 2 0.0% Increase
70 Cumhuriyet University, Turkey 0.50 0.03 1 -95.2% Decrease
71 Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli University, Turkey 0.00 0.02 1 0.0% Increase
72 Afyon Kocatepe University, Turkey 0.00 0.02 1 0.0% Increase
72 Ondokuz Mayis University (OMU), Turkey 0.50 0.02 1 -95.8% Decrease
72 Başkent University, Turkey 1.05 0.02 1 -98.0% Decrease
73 Eskişehir Technical University, Turkey 0.00 0.02 1 0.0% Increase
74 Van Training and Research Hospital, Turkey 0.00 0.01 1 0.0% Increase
75 Beykent University, Turkey 0.01 0.01 35 -31.1% Decrease
76 Gaziosmanpaşa University, Turkey 0.02 0.01 32 -50.2% Decrease
77 Kafkas University, Turkey 0.01 0.01 35 -45.8% Decrease
77 Piri Reis University, Turkey 0.26 0.01 35 -97.3% Decrease
77 Bingöl University, Turkey 0.01 0.01 35 -44.9% Decrease
77 Mersin University, Turkey 0.11 0.01 35 -93.6% Decrease
78 Sirnak University, Turkey 1.00 0.00 10 -99.8% Decrease
79 Istanbul Arel University, Turkey 0.00 0.00 4 0.0% Increase

Footnote

Each year, the Nature Index publishes tables based on counts of high-quality research outputs in the previous calendar year. Users please note:

  1. The data behind the tables are based on a relatively small proportion of total research papers, they cover the natural sciences and health sciences only and outputs are non-normalized (that is, they don’t reflect the size of the country or institution, or its overall research output).
  2. The Nature Index is one indicator of institutional research performance. The metrics of Count and Share used to order Nature Index listings are based on an institution’s or country’s publication output in 145 natural-science and health-science journals. The journals were selected on reputation by an independent panel of leading scientists in their fields. The list is reviewed periodically and journals may be removed or added. Articles from eLife were no longer included in the Nature Index from 2023 after the journal changed its publishing model.
  3. Nature Index recognizes that many other factors must be taken into account when considering research quality and institutional performance; Nature Index metrics alone should not be used to assess institutions or individuals.
  4. Nature Index data and methods are transparent and available under a creative commons licence at nature.com/nature-index/.
  5. Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

The Nature Index database undergoes regular updating, corrections, adjustment of institutional hierarchies, and removal of retracted papers and thus the live website can differ from the frozen research leaders.