Citation Rankings
Highly Cited Researchers

World Highly Cited Researchers CitationSocial Sciences / Child Development Rankings 2025

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
United States
Jeanne Brooks Gunn
Child Development
Families
Poverty
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
146,127
32,098
0.220
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :2
United States
Jay Belsky
Child Development
Differential Susceptibility
Evolutionary Theory
Child Abuse
Day Care
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
118,469
30,759
0.260
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :3
United States
John Constantino
Child Development
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
53,376
30,621
0.574
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :4
United States
Karen Bierman
child development
peer relations
violence prevention
school readiness
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
40,655
12,789
0.315
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :5
Canada
Michel Boivin
child development
peer relations
early childhood
school readiness
behavior genetics
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
39,694
15,993
0.403
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :6
United States
Aletha C Huston
child poverty
public policy
television and children
gender
early education and child care
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
38,674
9,003
0.233
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :7
United States
Laura Justice
child development
language skills
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
36,076
17,375
0.482
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :8
Nigeria
Temitayo Olurin
Child development
Positive youth development
Resilience
Community-engaged research
Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
34,669
23,417
0.675
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :9
United States
Stephen T Russell
youth
adolescence
adolescent
gay
LGBT
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
32,226
18,977
0.589
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :10
United Kingdom
Andrea Danese
child development
child maltreatment
developmental psychopathology
stress
psychoneuroimmunology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
29,936
21,643
0.723
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :11
Canada
Mariana Brussoni
injury prevention
risky play
parenting
child development
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
29,699
11,578
0.390
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :12
United States
Adriana Umana-Taylor
Child Development
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
25,759
14,918
0.579
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :13
United States
Taryn Morrissey
Child and family policy
health policy
child development
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
24,008
10,182
0.424
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :14
United Kingdom
Richard Pasco Fearon
child development
attachment
children's mental health and wellbeing
behavioural genetics
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
22,999
14,031
0.610
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :15
United States
Pamela K Klebanov
Child Development
Early Childhood Intervention
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
22,626
5,613
0.248
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :16
Israel
Asher Ornoy
clinical teratology
child development
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
21,694
6,479
0.299
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :17
United States
Noel Card
Child Development
Adolescent Development
Quantitative Methods
Meta-analysis
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
21,208
10,445
0.493
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :18
United States
Emma K Adam
child development
adolescent development
stress
cortisol
sleep
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
18,155
9,377
0.516
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :19
New Zealand
Elaine Reese
child development
language
literacy
parent-child interaction
memory
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
17,454
7,483
0.429
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :20
Canada
Sylvana Cote
Child Development
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
16,052
8,441
0.526
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :21
United States
Diane L Putnick
Child Development
Parenting
LMIC
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
14,050
11,053
0.787
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :22
United States
Michael Hurlburt
Child Development
Mental Health Services Research
Philosophy of Science
Implementation Science
Doctoral Education
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
12,702
6,361
0.501
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :23
United States
Nicholas Zill
Child development and well-being
family influences on children
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
12,504
2,189
0.175
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :24
United States
Rebecca Dore
Children
child development
media
technology
cognitive develpment
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
12,426
8,506
0.685
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :25
Netherlands
Marije Van Der Hulst
child development
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
11,410
7,879
0.691
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
1,483
United States
658
12
Ranking Based On Selection: 1
Jeanne Brooks Gunn
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
146,127
32,098
0.220
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
2,210
United States
1,031
3
Ranking Based On Selection: 2
Jay Belsky
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
118,469
30,759
0.260
Child Development
Differential Susceptibility
Evolutionary Theory
Child Abuse
Day Care
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
8,957
United States
4,274
43
Ranking Based On Selection: 3
John Constantino
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
53,376
30,621
0.574
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
13,827
United States
6,535
39
Ranking Based On Selection: 4
Karen Bierman
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
40,655
12,789
0.315
child development
peer relations
violence prevention
school readiness
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
14,375
Canada
566
18
Ranking Based On Selection: 5
Michel Boivin
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
39,694
15,993
0.403
child development
peer relations
early childhood
school readiness
behavior genetics
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
14,981
United States
7,064
68
Ranking Based On Selection: 6
Aletha C Huston
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
38,674
9,003
0.233
child poverty
public policy
television and children
gender
early education and child care
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
16,696
United States
7,848
42
Ranking Based On Selection: 7
Laura Justice
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
36,076
17,375
0.482
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
17,778
Nigeria
29
1
Ranking Based On Selection: 8
Temitayo Olurin
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
34,669
23,417
0.675
Child development
Positive youth development
Resilience
Community-engaged research
Africa
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
19,902
United States
9,253
96
Ranking Based On Selection: 9
Stephen T Russell
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
32,226
18,977
0.589
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
22,332
United Kingdom
1,975
99
Ranking Based On Selection: 10
Andrea Danese
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
29,936
21,643
0.723
child development
child maltreatment
developmental psychopathology
stress
psychoneuroimmunology
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
22,629
Canada
929
103
Ranking Based On Selection: 11
Mariana Brussoni
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
29,699
11,578
0.390
injury prevention
risky play
parenting
child development
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
28,089
United States
12,797
705
Ranking Based On Selection: 12
Adriana Umana-Taylor
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
25,759
14,918
0.579
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
31,195
United States
14,119
5
Ranking Based On Selection: 13
Taryn Morrissey
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
24,008
10,182
0.424
Child and family policy
health policy
child development
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
33,157
United Kingdom
2,898
269
Ranking Based On Selection: 14
Richard Pasco Fearon
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
22,999
14,031
0.610
child development
attachment
children's mental health and wellbeing
behavioural genetics
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
33,893
United States
15,226
153
Ranking Based On Selection: 15
Pamela K Klebanov
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
22,626
5,613
0.248
Child Development
Early Childhood Intervention
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
36,003
Israel
218
2
Ranking Based On Selection: 16
Asher Ornoy
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
21,694
6,479
0.299
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
37,165
United States
16,565
56
Ranking Based On Selection: 17
Noel Card
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
21,208
10,445
0.493
Child Development
Adolescent Development
Quantitative Methods
Meta-analysis
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
46,032
United States
20,033
145
Ranking Based On Selection: 18
Emma K Adam
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
18,155
9,377
0.516
child development
adolescent development
stress
cortisol
sleep
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
48,637
New Zealand
190
38
Ranking Based On Selection: 19
Elaine Reese
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
17,454
7,483
0.429
child development
language
literacy
parent-child interaction
memory
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
54,368
Canada
2,376
91
Ranking Based On Selection: 20
Sylvana Cote
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
16,052
8,441
0.526
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
64,848
United States
27,240
285
Ranking Based On Selection: 21
Diane L Putnick
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
14,050
11,053
0.787
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
73,748
United States
30,463
325
Ranking Based On Selection: 22
Michael Hurlburt
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
12,702
6,361
0.501
Child Development
Mental Health Services Research
Philosophy of Science
Implementation Science
Doctoral Education
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
75,226
United States
30,989
566
Ranking Based On Selection: 23
Nicholas Zill
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
12,504
2,189
0.175
Child development and well-being
family influences on children
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
75,776
United States
31,200
209
Ranking Based On Selection: 24
Rebecca Dore
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
12,426
8,506
0.685
Children
child development
media
technology
cognitive develpment
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
84,005
Netherlands
2,114
181
Ranking Based On Selection: 25
Marije Van Der Hulst
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
11,410
7,879
0.691