Citation Rankings
Highly Cited Researchers

World Highly Cited Researchers Citation Social Sciences / Political Science and International Relations 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
Francis Fukuyama
democracy
development
governance
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
161,566
47,513
0.294
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :2
United States
Robert Keohane
International politics
institutions
environmental policy
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
150,082
35,212
0.235
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :3
United States
Joseph S Nye
American foreign politics
international relations
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
137,092
45,859
0.335
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :4
United States
Pippa Norris
political science
comparative politics
elections
political behavior
political communication
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
111,784
40,960
0.366
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :5
United Kingdom
Ruth Wodak
Discourse Studies
Identity Politics
Political Communication
Populism
Gender Studies
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
97,407
42,474
0.436
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :6
Canada
Will Kymlicka
Political Philosophy
Political Theory
Philosophy
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
96,649
24,656
0.255
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :7
United States
Jon Elster
Democratic theory
constitutions
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
94,385
17,936
0.190
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :8
United States
Barry R Weingast
Political-economics
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
91,780
20,266
0.221
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :9
United States
Peter A Hall
Comparative politics
comparative political economy
institutional analysis
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
83,380
23,358
0.280
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :10
United Kingdom
Barry Buzan
International Relations
world history
international security
international relations theory
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
81,413
29,727
0.365
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :11
United States
Dalton Russell J
political science
comparative politics
public opinion
elections
democracy
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
71,663
20,027
0.279
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :12
Italy
Philippe C. Schmitter
Political Science
Comparative Politics
European Union
Latin America
democratization
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
71,109
11,867
0.167
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :13
United States
Guillermo O'Donnell
Comparative Politics
Democratic Theory
Latin America
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
70,692
15,376
0.218
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :14
United States
Paul Pierson
American Politics
Comparative Politics
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
67,879
18,578
0.274
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :15
United Kingdom
Ron Johnston
HUman Geography
Political Science
Elections
Geography
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
65,479
15,278
0.233
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :16
Germany
Claus Offe
Political Theory
Political Sociology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
64,800
9,673
0.149
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :17
United States
James H Fowler
social networks
evolution
politics
genetics
big data
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
64,149
29,804
0.465
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :18
United States
Kathryn Sikkink
international relations
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
63,504
18,278
0.288
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :19
United States
Gary Marks
political science
comparative politics
European Union
multilevel governance
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
57,306
20,143
0.351
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :20
United States
Robert M Entman
Political Communication
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
57,141
21,391
0.374
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :21
Italy
Donatella Della Porta
sociology
political science
social movements
democracy
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
56,600
22,538
0.398
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :22
Hong Kong
Shaoguang Wang 王绍光
Political economy
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
56,228
18,753
0.334
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :23
United States
Alexander Wendt
International relations
quantum theory
and philosophy of social science
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
54,335
15,051
0.277
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :24
Canada
Olivier François Bertrand
International Chair on Interventional Cardiology and Transradial Approach
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
53,784
20,426
0.380
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :25
United States
John Mearsheimer
IR Theory
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
53,687
19,950
0.372
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
1,229
United States
539
31
Ranking Based On Selection: 1
Francis Fukuyama
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
161,566
47,513
0.294
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
1,416
United States
627
11
Ranking Based On Selection: 2
Robert Keohane
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
150,082
35,212
0.235
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
1,697
United States
763
69
Ranking Based On Selection: 3
Joseph S Nye
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
137,092
45,859
0.335
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
2,488
United States
1,184
113
Ranking Based On Selection: 4
Pippa Norris
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
111,784
40,960
0.366
political science
comparative politics
elections
political behavior
political communication
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
3,282
United Kingdom
264
5
Ranking Based On Selection: 5
Ruth Wodak
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
97,407
42,474
0.436
Discourse Studies
Identity Politics
Political Communication
Populism
Gender Studies
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
3,337
Canada
127
1
Ranking Based On Selection: 6
Will Kymlicka
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
96,649
24,656
0.255
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
3,498
United States
1,666
35
Ranking Based On Selection: 7
Jon Elster
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
94,385
17,936
0.190
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
3,670
United States
1,738
87
Ranking Based On Selection: 8
Barry R Weingast
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
91,780
20,266
0.221
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
4,305
United States
2,048
168
Ranking Based On Selection: 9
Peter A Hall
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
83,380
23,358
0.280
Comparative politics
comparative political economy
institutional analysis
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
4,497
United Kingdom
355
2
Ranking Based On Selection: 10
Barry Buzan
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
81,413
29,727
0.365
International Relations
world history
international security
international relations theory
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
5,588
United States
2,650
21
Ranking Based On Selection: 11
Dalton Russell J
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
71,663
20,027
0.279
political science
comparative politics
public opinion
elections
democracy
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
5,655
Italy
305
1
Ranking Based On Selection: 12
Philippe C. Schmitter
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
71,109
11,867
0.167
Political Science
Comparative Politics
European Union
Latin America
democratization
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
5,696
United States
2,703
26
Ranking Based On Selection: 13
Guillermo O'Donnell
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
70,692
15,376
0.218
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
6,110
United States
2,897
75
Ranking Based On Selection: 14
Paul Pierson
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
67,879
18,578
0.274
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
6,469
United Kingdom
554
14
Ranking Based On Selection: 15
Ron Johnston
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
65,479
15,278
0.233
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
6,587
Germany
257
6
Ranking Based On Selection: 16
Claus Offe
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
64,800
9,673
0.149
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
6,694
United States
3,173
66
Ranking Based On Selection: 17
James H Fowler
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
64,149
29,804
0.465
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
6,814
United States
3,236
253
Ranking Based On Selection: 18
Kathryn Sikkink
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
63,504
18,278
0.288
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
8,019
United States
3,824
47
Ranking Based On Selection: 19
Gary Marks
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
57,306
20,143
0.351
political science
comparative politics
European Union
multilevel governance
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
8,065
United States
3,848
9
Ranking Based On Selection: 20
Robert M Entman
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
57,141
21,391
0.374
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
8,186
Italy
396
7
Ranking Based On Selection: 21
Donatella Della Porta
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
56,600
22,538
0.398
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
8,280
Hong Kong
57
17
Ranking Based On Selection: 22
Shaoguang Wang 王绍光
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
56,228
18,753
0.334
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
8,771
United States
4,188
19
Ranking Based On Selection: 23
Alexander Wendt
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
54,335
15,051
0.277
International relations
quantum theory
and philosophy of social science
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
8,923
Canada
341
5
Ranking Based On Selection: 24
Olivier François Bertrand
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
53,784
20,426
0.380
International Chair on Interventional Cardiology and Transradial Approach
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
8,948
United States
4,275
44
Ranking Based On Selection: 25
John Mearsheimer
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
53,687
19,950
0.372