Canadian University Press Releases/Newswire

Source: University of Guelph
http://www.uoguelph.ca/mediarel/2006/10/u_of_g_ranked_a.html

U of G Ranked Among World's Top Ag Research Institutions

October 16, 2006

The
University of Guelph ranked seventh among universities worldwide for its
impact on agricultural sciences during the past decade, a study by Science
Watch reveals. U of G was the only Canadian university among the top 25
institutions ranked for agricultural research from 1996 to 2006.

"Guelph’s survey ranking is outstanding — and expected — given the truly
breathtaking activity of faculty and staff in agriculture and food
sciences," said Ontario Agricultural College dean Craig Pearson.

Agricultural research papers published by U of G investigators were cited
just over 8,000 times between 1996 and 2006, behind total citations for the
University of Georgia and Iowa State University. The highest-ranked
universities for total citations were Wageningen University in the
Netherlands (16,370) and the University of California, Davis (13,554).

Measured by impact, or citations per paper, Guelph was listed 12th among
universities worldwide, with 6.99 citations per paper.

Including all research institutions, Guelph placed 12th overall in total
citations and 14th in citation impact. The U.S. Department of Agriculture
headed the total-citations list with nearly twice that of the second-ranked
institution, France’s Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique. At the
top of the citation impact list were the University of Helsinki (9.05 cites
per paper) and Cornell University and the University of Wisconsin (tied at
8.47).

Science Watch is published by Thomson Scientific in Philadelphia. It
provides rankings, interviews, and reports on significant science. The
information for the survey came from Thomson Scientific’s Essential Science
Indicators, based on papers published in 118 Thomson-indexed journals of
agricultural sciences between January 1996 and February 2006 and cited
during the same period. The survey included only universities and research
institutions that published 500 or more papers during that period.

Asked to comment on the rankings, Science Watch editor Christopher King
said: "The agricultural science research published by Guelph personnel is
registering strongly in terms of its influence and significance as viewed by
other scientists."

For media questions, contact Communications and Public Affairs: Lori Bona
Hunt, 519 824-4120, Ext. 53338, or Rachelle Cooper, Ext. 56982.