The Citation Rankings (Highly Cited Researchers) highlight the most cited and influential researchers across a vast range of scientific fields, covering 197 main and sub-disciplines, including the Art and Humanities Citation Rankings and Social Sciences and Humanities Citation Rankings. This service, offered exclusively by AD Scientific Index, aims to provide a balanced perspective by excluding data from CERN and other statistical sources that disproportionately favor certain researchers, particularly in the social sciences and humanities. This unique approach addresses the advantages researchers with multi-author publications and CERN involvement hold over others. Furthermore, citation rankings help uncover rule violations and unethical practices within the research community. For more detailed citation analyses, explore the Scientists Last 6 Years Citation Index, Universities Total Citations Rankings 2025, and Universities Last 6 Years Citations Rankings 2025.
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 1
African politics
history
colonialism
race
enlightenment
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
66,006
40,446
0.613
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 2
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
12,067
4,010
0.332
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 3
rock art
shell middens
human evolution
South African Prehistory
San hunter gatherers
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
10,364
3,152
0.304
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 4
Linguistics
Sociolinguistics
English language
Language in South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
9,531
3,384
0.355
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 5
Stone Age archaeology
human behavioural and cognitive evolution
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
8,053
4,264
0.529
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 6
African archaeology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
7,956
2,304
0.290
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 7
arqueología biomolecular
evolución humana
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
6,686
4,632
0.693
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 8
Sociolinguistics
linguistic anthropology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
6,448
2,752
0.427
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 9
archaeology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
6,376
2,028
0.318
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 10
African Philosophy
African Metaphysics
African Bioethics
African Traditional Religion
African Cultural Studies
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
6,199
5,300
0.855
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 11
linguistics
multilingualism
anthroplogy
philosophy
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
5,786
2,665
0.461
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 12
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
5,616
2,011
0.358
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 13
African Philosophy
Philosophy of Education
Global Citizenship Education
Higher Education
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
5,566
3,094
0.556
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 14
Stable Isotopes
Climate Change
Tree Rings
Charcoal
Stable Isotope Ecology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
5,375
4,692
0.873
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 15
archaeology
taphonomy
ethnoarchaeology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
5,257
2,484
0.473
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 16
Postcolonial literary studies
print culture
book history
oceanic studies
Indian Ocean studies
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
4,765
1,930
0.405
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 17
Egyptology
zooarchaeology
rock art
archaeology
experimental archaeology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
4,749
2,303
0.485
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 18
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
4,650
1,508
0.324
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 19
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
4,232
1,468
0.347
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 20
Philosophy of Cognitive Science
Philosophy of Science
Addiction
Self-control
Physicalism
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
4,011
1,748
0.436
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 21
Paleolithic archaeology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
3,821
1,996
0.522
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 22
18th and early 19th century Cape history
early modern Indian Ocean history
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
3,785
984
0.260
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 23
African History
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
3,541
919
0.260
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 24
Systematic theology
ecotheology
ecumenical theology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
3,533
1,739
0.492
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 25
Social and political change
African studies
comparative labour history
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
3,498
1,476
0.422
Achille Mbembe
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
66,006
40,446
0.613
African politics
history
colonialism
race
enlightenment
Judith Sealy
University of Cape Town
Cape Town, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
12,067
4,010
0.332
John Parkington
University of Cape Town
Cape Town, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
10,364
3,152
0.304
rock art
shell middens
human evolution
South African Prehistory
San hunter gatherers
Rajend Mesthrie
University of Cape Town
Cape Town, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
9,531
3,384
0.355
Linguistics
Sociolinguistics
English language
Language in South Africa
Marlize Lombard
University of Johannesburg
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
8,053
4,264
0.529
Stone Age archaeology
human behavioural and cognitive evolution
TN Huffman
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
7,956
2,304
0.290
Domingo Carlos Salazar-García
University of Cape Town
Cape Town, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
6,686
4,632
0.693
arqueología biomolecular
evolución humana
Ana Deumert
University of Cape Town
Cape Town, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
6,448
2,752
0.427
Sociolinguistics
linguistic anthropology
Wadley
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
6,376
2,028
0.318
Kanu Ikechukwu Anthony
Tansian University
Umunya, Nigeria
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
6,199
5,300
0.855
African Philosophy
African Metaphysics
African Bioethics
African Traditional Religion
African Cultural Studies
Christopher Stroud
University of the Western Cape
Bellville, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
5,786
2,665
0.461
linguistics
multilingualism
anthroplogy
philosophy
Lucy Allais
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
5,616
2,011
0.358
Yusef Waghid
Stellenbosch University
Stellenbosch, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
5,566
3,094
0.556
African Philosophy
Philosophy of Education
Global Citizenship Education
Higher Education
Grant Hall
University of Pretoria
Pretoria, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
5,375
4,692
0.873
Stable Isotopes
Climate Change
Tree Rings
Charcoal
Stable Isotope Ecology
Lucinda Backwell
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
5,257
2,484
0.473
Isabel Hofmeyr
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
4,765
1,930
0.405
Postcolonial literary studies
print culture
book history
oceanic studies
Indian Ocean studies
Salima Ikram
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
4,749
2,303
0.485
Egyptology
zooarchaeology
rock art
archaeology
experimental archaeology
Gerald West
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
4,650
1,508
0.324
Ogbu Kalu
University of Nigeria
Nsukka, Nigeria
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
4,232
1,468
0.347
David Spurrett
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
4,011
1,748
0.436
Philosophy of Cognitive Science
Philosophy of Science
Addiction
Self-control
Physicalism
Sarah Wurz
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
3,821
1,996
0.522
Nigel Worden
University of Cape Town
Cape Town, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
3,785
984
0.260
18th and early 19th century Cape history
early modern Indian Ocean history
Peter Delius
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
3,541
919
0.260
Ernst M. Conradie
University of the Western Cape
Bellville, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
3,533
1,739
0.492
Systematic theology
ecotheology
ecumenical theology
Peter Alexander
University of Johannesburg
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
3,498
1,476
0.422
Social and political change
African studies
comparative labour history