Nature rankings reveal depth and breadth of Otago’s research

Thursday 27 March 2014

Nature rankings reveal depth and breadth of Otago’s research excellence

The University of Otago has once more ranked first among New Zealand research institutions for the number of papers published in the prestigious journal Nature and its 17 related primary research journals in the preceding year.

The 2013 Nature Publishing Index Asia-Pacific is released as a supplement to the latest issue of Nature. It measures the output of research articles from nations and institutes published in the 18 Nature-branded journals over the calendar year to provide a snapshot of research in the Asia-Pacific in 2013.

Otago came in at 67th in the latest Index, rising from 87th place in 2012, when it also topped the country’s institutions. The Index also reveals that the University enjoys the highest New Zealand ranking over the 2009-2013 period, coming in 61st in the Asia-Pacific with 39 articles.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Enterprise) Professor Richard Blaikie says the pleasing results reflect the global reach of many areas of Otago research as well as its sustained excellence.

“These rankings indicate that our staff are engaged in fruitful international collaborations at the forefront of scientific progress across many areas of enquiry. Taken together with Otago’s position as New Zealand’s top university in the citation components of the annual Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) and the QS World University Rankings, these rankings show how globally connected and influential our research truly is.”

In 2013, articles by researchers in the University's Divisions of Sciences and Health were published in Nature, Nature Climate Change, Nature Communications, Nature Genetics, Nature Geoscience, and Nature Medicine.

The Otago researchers’ publications involve many disciplines, including anatomy, biochemistry, chemistry, geology, mathematics and statistics, marine science, medicine, physics, physiology, and women’s and children’s health.

Their studies range from breakthroughs in the understanding of the molecular basis of the brain’s control of fertility to clarifying the genetic origins of early Europeans by studying ancient DNA. Other findings included a discovery that may lead to new treatments to protect from post-heart attack tissue damage and new insights into how species can adapt to periods of climate change.

A list of Otago publications in Nature journals over a rolling 12 month period can be found at this site: http://www.natureasia.com/en/publishing-index/asia-pacific/by-institution/article-list/article/New+Zealand/University+of+Otago

A link to the 2013 Nature Publishing Index Asia-Pacific supplement can be found here http://www.natureasia.com/en/publishing-index/asia-pacific/supplement2013

ENDS

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