Citation Laureates 2026

The Citation Laureates selection process is grounded in a rigorous, data-driven approach led by the Institute for Scientific Information. Using the Web of Science Core Collection — a trusted resource covering more than 22,000 scientific journals — we identify researchers whose work demonstrates exceptional influence.

Our analysis focuses on papers with extraordinary citation counts. Of the approximately 67 million papers published since 1970, only around 12,000 have been cited more than 2,000 times — less than 0.02% of global research output. These rare works signal discoveries that have reshaped their fields.

But citation counts alone don’t tell the whole story. When selecting Citation Laureates, our analysts apply expert qualitative judgment to assess factors such as the novelty and societal impact of a discovery, corroboration with other awards, alignment with the history of Nobel-recognized research, and recognition in closely related areas. This layered approach ensures our selections reflect both measurable influence and broader peer recognition.

By combining deep citation analysis with expert insight, we identify researchers whose contributions have advanced knowledge and delivered lasting benefit to society — those whose work, in the words of the Nobel Assembly, has brought “the greatest benefit to humankind.”

This approach has a long-standing record of identifying researchers whose work later receives the highest level of international recognition: the Nobel Prize. Since 2002, 89 Citation Laureates have gone on to receive a Nobel Prize, highlighting the close relationship between exceptional research influence, as reflected in citations, and subsequent recognition by the Nobel committees.

While the Citation Laureates program does not aim to predict Nobel Prize recipients in a specific year, it recognizes researchers whose achievements are of Nobel class. As sociologist Harriet Zuckerman observed, “Every year more scientists are eligible for the Nobel Prizes than can win them… There has always been an accumulation of uncrowned laureates.” This is true of Citation Laureates, whose work merits recognition regardless of whether they ultimately receive a Nobel Prize.