In light of frequent public references, the Centre for Civic Education (CCE) points out that the so-called Stanford list is often incorrectly presented as a list of the “most cited” scientists. In fact, it is a ranking based on a composite citation impact indicator, in which the sheer number of citations is not decisive, meaning that authors with fewer citations may be ranked higher.
Namely, the composite indicator, as the main criterion, includes not only the total number of citations, but also the stability and continuity of scientific impact (h and hm indices), as well as the actual individual contribution of authors in co-authored publications. Particular value is assigned to papers in which the author is the sole, first, or last author, thereby recognising independent contribution, research responsibility, and scientific leadership.
This list is developed using the Scopus database by a research team from Stanford University in cooperation with the publishing house Elsevier. The latest edition was published at the end of 2025 and includes researchers among the 100,000 most influential worldwide, or the top 2% within their respective scientific subfields. Rankings are conducted both globally and within individual disciplines, with scientists categorised across 22 scientific fields and 174 subfields. Indicators are calculated both with and without self-citations to provide a more objective insight into actual scientific impact.
With regard to members of the Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and Arts (MASA), Ljubiša Stanković and Igor Đurović are ranked in the subfield of networks and telecommunications. Among 217,319 scientists in this subfield, Stanković is ranked 309th and Đurović 885th. Vlado Lubarda is ranked in the subfield of mechanical engineering and transport, where he places 244th among 150,568 scientists.
The list reflecting overall scientific contribution throughout a career also includes researchers from Montenegro who are not members of MASA, although some had previously been candidates. Prof. Dr Srđan Stanković ranks 3,589th in the field of networks and telecommunications, Prof. Dr Gojko Joksimović 1,304th out of 125,178 in electrical engineering and electronics, while Prof. Dr Vladimir Pešić ranks 446th out of 18,114 in zoology.
In addition to this most recent list covering entire scientific careers, there are also annual Stanford/Elsevier lists of the most influential scientists for a given year. On the list for 2024, researchers from Montenegro included Dr Martin Ćalasan in the field of energy and Assoc. Prof. Dr Aleksandra Klisić in medicine.
CCE emphasises that this list is not the only relevant international indicator of scientific impact, nor does inclusion on it automatically mean that someone is “better”, just as absence from the list does not automatically imply a lack of scientific value.
CCE will continue to monitor international indicators of scientific impact and to clarify their methodologies, as part of its contribution to fact-based public information.
Ivan Kašćelan, Project Assistant