Here we go again: the THE citations indicator

The latest THE world  rankings have just been announced. For most of the indicators there are few surprises. There are more universities from Japan in the rankings. Oxford is first, followed by Cambridge. The USA contributes the largest number of top universities. China rises steadily. India is as usual is a disappointment. 

But, as in previous years, the most interesting thing is the citations indicator, which is supposed to measure research influence. Once again this has produced some very interesting results. 

Here are some of the universities in the top 100. 

Babol Noshirvani University of Technology: the most influential university in the world for research
Brighton and Sussex Medical School: most influential in Europe
Brandeis University: most influential in the USA
Reykjavik University
St George's, University of London: fallen a bit, probably because of Brexit
King Abdulaziz University: top university for research influence in the Middle East and Asia 
Anglia Ruskin University
Jordan University of Science and Technology
Vita-Salute San Raffaele University
Ulsan National Institute for Science and Technology: top in Asia ex Middle East
University of Canberra: best in Australia
University of Dessarollo: best in Latin America
McMaster University: best in Canada
Universite de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines: best in France
Teikyo University: best in Japan

There are signs that THE are considering reforming this indicator. If that does happen, the rankings will be more valid but much less entertaining.