Birzeit University researchers ranked top of their fields in 2021 AD Scientific Index

Birzeit University researchers have recently attained high positions in the AD Scientific Index in its 2021 World Scientist and University Rankings. 

The faculty members, whose fields of research range from chemistry and public health to public administration and entrepreneurship, have been recognized not only for the quantity of their publications, but also for the quality of their scholarly work, which has greatly influenced knowledge production in their fields as measured by the number of citations for each publication, among other metrics.  

Developed by Murat Alper, a professor of pathology at the University of Health Sciences in Turkey, and Cihan Doger, an associate professor of anesthesiology at the Ankara Bilkent City Hospital, the AD Scientific Index is unique in that it evaluates the productivity and impact of researchers in total and over the past five years. 

Based on data from Google Scholar, the index ranks the impact of researchers according to their h-index value, a measure of academic output based on the number of publications and the citations that these publications received, as well as the i10-index, a value representing the number of publications with at least 10 citations. 

Additionally, the ratio of the value of the above metrics in the last five years to their values in total for each researcher is used in determining their position in the index. This metric was included by the authors as a way of highlighting not only the researchers’ development over their careers, but also the effect of the research policies adopted by their institutions. 

By using nine overall parameters, the AD Scientific Index presents a broad overview of the quality and quantity of publications by researchers in over 13,500 institutions across 205 countries. Out of a total of 395 Palestinian academics who appear in the index, 54 are Birzeit University researchers, ten of whom were ranked at the top of their fields or subfields in Palestine. 

Dr. Talal Shahwan, the vice president for academic affairs at Birzeit University, said that the recent rankings serve as a testament to the impact of the university’s faculty and staff in advancing science and humanities and pushing forward Palestinian-driven knowledge production, despite the scarcity of resources and the nascent research infrastructure in Palestine. 

Stressing the importance of supporting all aspects of research at academic institutions, Shahwan explained that Birzeit University is laying the groundwork for a tripartite strategy that bolsters research-informed teaching and learning, revises and updates research-support policies and research governance, and promotes engaging, impactful knowledge production locally and regionally.

Research skills, Shahwan added, form an essential part of teaching and learning pedagogies, and so there will be renewed focus across all the university’s levels on student engagement with, and participation in, research projects, giving them the space and tools to develop competencies that will help them in their future professional and academic careers.

Birzeit University’s researchers recognized in the index include: Dr. Abdullatif Husseini, Dr. Niveen Abu-Rmeileh, and Dr. Rita Giacaman, of the Institute of Community and Public Health; and Dr. Mustafa Jarrar, Dr. Majdi Mafarja, Dr. Adel Taweel, Dr. Khaled Abaza, Dr. Afif Hasan, Dr. Abdalkarim Awad, Dr. Ziad Mimi, Dr. Adnan Yahya, Dr. Ahmed Abu Hanieh, Dr. Abdellatif Abu Issa, Dr. Ali Abdo, Dr. Abdel Salam Sayyad, and Dr. Simon Alaraj, of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology. 

Also included in the index are: Dr. Talal Shahwan, Dr. Abdullatif Abuhijleh, Dr. Hijazi Abu Ali, Dr. Khaled Swaileh, Dr. Abdallah Sayyed Ahmad, Dr. Arwa Abu Khweek, Dr. Johnny Stiban, Dr. Emilia Rappocciolo, Dr. Jamil Harb, Dr. Mohammad Saleh, Dr. Saleh Rayyan, Dr. Mazen  Hamed, Dr. Hazem Abusara, Rateb Hussein, Dr. Mahmoud Srour, Dr. Marwan Aloqeili, Dr. Wafaa Khater, and Dr. Aziz Shawabkeh, of the Faculty of Science. 

The index additionally included researchers from the Institute of Environmental and Water Studies, Dr. Issam Al Khatib, Dr. Nidal Mahmoud, Dr. Rashed Al-Sa’Ed, and Dr. Maher Abu Madi; from the Faculty of Business and Economics, Dr. Nidal Sabri, Dr. Grace Khoury, Dr. Samir Baidounm Dr. Yousef Hassan, and Omar Omran; from the Faculty of Pharmacy, Nursing and Health Professions, Dr. Tamer Essawi, Dr. Rania Abu Hamdah, Dr. Sahar Hassan, Dr. Lina Adwan, Dr. Mohammad Farraj, Dr. Munir Qazzaz, and Dr. Lina El Khairy; from the Faculty of Arts, Dr. Marwan Ghanem; from the Faculty of Law and Public Administration, Dr. Asem Khalil; and from the Faculty of Education, Dr. Maher Al Hashweh. 

To view more information about the index, its methodology, and the global rankings, follow this link. 

To view a list of Birzeit University researchers included in the index, follow this link.