Citation Rankings
Highly Cited Researchers

World Highly Cited Researchers CitationSocial Sciences / Linguistics and Literature 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
George Lakoff
Linguistics
Cognitive Science
Politics
Law
Psychology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
278,823
76,721
0.275
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :2
United Kingdom
Jim Coleman
Applied linguistics
language learning and teaching
language education policy and practice
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
207,663
42,817
0.206
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :3
United Kingdom
Timothy Milnes
English Literature
Philosophy
Romanticism
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
175,215
77,826
0.444
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :4
United States
James Paul Gee
linguistics
literacy
learning
and video games
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
143,525
42,192
0.294
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :5
New Zealand
Rod Ellis
second language acquisition
task-based language teaching
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
140,491
45,175
0.322
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :6
Netherlands
Marshall Herbert Mcluhan
Literature studies
Media theory
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
130,055
35,565
0.273
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :7
Nigeria
Gabriella Nwaozuzu
syntax and semantics
dialectology
Igbo language and literature
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
118,348
105,437
0.891
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :8
United Kingdom
Ken Hyland
Applied linguistics
Academic discourse
EAP
discourse analysis
English for Specific
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
93,813
44,212
0.471
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :9
United States
Dan Jurafsky
Natural Language Processing
Speech Recognition
Computational Linguistics
Linguistics
Computational Social Science
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
84,680
44,845
0.530
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :10
United States
David Gefen
Trust
Research Methods
Ecommerce
IT Outsourcing
Sociolinguistics
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
82,479
30,884
0.374
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :11
United States
Douglas Biber
Linguistics
corpus linguistics
English grammar
register
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
81,318
30,853
0.379
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :12
United States
Bernard Comrie
linguistic typology
Caucasian languages
Papuan languages
historical linguistics
language documentation
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
64,197
15,407
0.240
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :13
Germany
Harald Baayen
linguistics
statistics
morphology
cognitive models of language processing
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
63,885
25,997
0.407
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :14
Russia
Владимир Ильич Карасик Vladimir I. Karasik
Sociolinguistics
Pragmatics
Discourse Theory
Cultural Anthropology
Philological Hermeneutics
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
58,253
21,003
0.361
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :15
Australia
Anna Wierzbicka
Linguistics
Semantics
Anthropology
Cognitive Science
Psychology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
57,700
15,817
0.274
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :16
United States
Susan Gass
second language acquisition
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
56,780
17,843
0.314
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :17
United States
John Swales
Genre Analysis
EAP
Discourse studies
Academic writing ...
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
55,152
17,346
0.315
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :18
United States
P David Pearson
Literacy
Education
Reading
Teacher Education
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
54,883
12,321
0.224
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :19
United States
Michael Arbib
Computational Neuroscience
Neurolinguistics
Neuroinformatics
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
54,878
7,304
0.133
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :20
France
Dominique Maingueneau
discourse analysis
pragmatics
linguistics
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
54,228
16,858
0.311
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :21
United States
Richard Schmidt
applied linguistics
second language acquisition
sociolinguistics
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
53,211
15,852
0.298
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :22
United States
Susan Goldin Meadow
language creation and development
using gesture to communicate
think
and learn
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
51,907
19,506
0.376
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :23
Australia
Alastair Pennycook
critical applied linguistics
global spread of English
metrolingual practices
language & popular culture
semiotic assemblages
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
50,502
20,413
0.404
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :24
Switzerland
Luigi Rizzi
Linguistics
Cognitive Science
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
50,482
12,146
0.241
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :25
Switzerland
Peter Trudgill
Lingustics
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
48,608
13,366
0.275
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
292
United States
125
5
Ranking Based On Selection: 1
George Lakoff
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
278,823
76,721
0.275
Linguistics
Cognitive Science
Politics
Law
Psychology
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
737
United Kingdom
56
1
Ranking Based On Selection: 2
Jim Coleman
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
207,663
42,817
0.206
Applied linguistics
language learning and teaching
language education policy and practice
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
1,053
United Kingdom
80
4
Ranking Based On Selection: 3
Timothy Milnes
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
175,215
77,826
0.444
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
1,558
United States
689
7
Ranking Based On Selection: 4
James Paul Gee
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
143,525
42,192
0.294
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
1,617
New Zealand
8
5
Ranking Based On Selection: 5
Rod Ellis
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
140,491
45,175
0.322
second language acquisition
task-based language teaching
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
1,879
Netherlands
42
2
Ranking Based On Selection: 6
Marshall Herbert Mcluhan
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
130,055
35,565
0.273
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
2,248
Nigeria
5
2
Ranking Based On Selection: 7
Gabriella Nwaozuzu
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
118,348
105,437
0.891
syntax and semantics
dialectology
Igbo language and literature
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
3,562
United Kingdom
293
4
Ranking Based On Selection: 8
Ken Hyland
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
93,813
44,212
0.471
Applied linguistics
Academic discourse
EAP
discourse analysis
English for Specific
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
4,223
United States
1,993
104
Ranking Based On Selection: 9
Dan Jurafsky
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
84,680
44,845
0.530
Natural Language Processing
Speech Recognition
Computational Linguistics
Linguistics
Computational Social Science
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
4,407
United States
2,098
5
Ranking Based On Selection: 10
David Gefen
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
82,479
30,884
0.374
Trust
Research Methods
Ecommerce
IT Outsourcing
Sociolinguistics
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
4,532
United States
2,154
2
Ranking Based On Selection: 11
Douglas Biber
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
81,318
30,853
0.379
Linguistics
corpus linguistics
English grammar
register
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
6,725
United States
3,171
16
Ranking Based On Selection: 12
Bernard Comrie
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
64,197
15,407
0.240
linguistic typology
Caucasian languages
Papuan languages
historical linguistics
language documentation
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
6,787
Germany
263
10
Ranking Based On Selection: 13
Harald Baayen
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
63,885
25,997
0.407
linguistics
statistics
morphology
cognitive models of language processing
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
7,849
Russia
39
1
Ranking Based On Selection: 14
Владимир Ильич Карасик Vladimir I. Karasik
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
58,253
21,003
0.361
Sociolinguistics
Pragmatics
Discourse Theory
Cultural Anthropology
Philological Hermeneutics
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
7,971
Australia
311
27
Ranking Based On Selection: 15
Anna Wierzbicka
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
57,700
15,817
0.274
Linguistics
Semantics
Anthropology
Cognitive Science
Psychology
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
8,186
United States
3,896
24
Ranking Based On Selection: 16
Susan Gass
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
56,780
17,843
0.314
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
8,620
United States
4,095
75
Ranking Based On Selection: 17
John Swales
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
55,152
17,346
0.315
Genre Analysis
EAP
Discourse studies
Academic writing ...
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
8,680
United States
4,133
106
Ranking Based On Selection: 18
P David Pearson
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
54,883
12,321
0.224
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
8,681
United States
4,134
45
Ranking Based On Selection: 19
Michael Arbib
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
54,878
7,304
0.133
Computational Neuroscience
Neurolinguistics
Neuroinformatics
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
8,838
France
157
12
Ranking Based On Selection: 20
Dominique Maingueneau
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
54,228
16,858
0.311
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
9,115
United States
4,338
13
Ranking Based On Selection: 21
Richard Schmidt
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
53,211
15,852
0.298
applied linguistics
second language acquisition
sociolinguistics
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
9,474
United States
4,514
46
Ranking Based On Selection: 22
Susan Goldin Meadow
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
51,907
19,506
0.376
language creation and development
using gesture to communicate
think
and learn
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
9,915
Australia
387
10
Ranking Based On Selection: 23
Alastair Pennycook
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
50,502
20,413
0.404
critical applied linguistics
global spread of English
metrolingual practices
language & popular culture
semiotic assemblages
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
9,921
Switzerland
181
19
Ranking Based On Selection: 24
Luigi Rizzi
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
50,482
12,146
0.241
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
10,493
Switzerland
191
4
Ranking Based On Selection: 25
Peter Trudgill
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
48,608
13,366
0.275