Self-cited researchers in Germany: Top 2% scientists 2026
Live Directory analytics: the Germany mean self_citation_pct is about 11.77% (rank 71 of 170). The Germany-scoped author ranking opens with Wismüller, Axel (81.68%, 573 citations).
Which Germany Top 2% scientists have the highest self-citation share?
Direct answer: ABS Nexora ranks researchers by the native field self_citation_pct (Stanford–Ioannidis self%). Scoped to country=deu for the 2026 single-year listing, the author ranking opens with Wismüller, Axel (Klinikum der Universität München; 81.68%; 573 total citations; global rank 69,694). That is a share of that author’s citations, not a claim that any named scholar engaged in misconduct.
The Germany country mean on rankings metric avg_self_citation_pct is about 11.77% across 10,933 listed scholars — rank 71 of 170 countries. That mean sits next to India (11.83%; n=6,940) and above Australia (9.54%; n=8,934), China (9.80%; n=35,681), and the United Kingdom (8.60%; n=18,269).
Small-n caveat: a high individual percentage is not a country-level verdict. Germany’s mean is mid-pack (rank 71). The names at the top of this ranking are not the same names as the Germany top researchers rank_all panel. Read the author table and the country rank together.
What the Directory is actually ranking
| Element | Native API field | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Per researcher | self_citation_pct | Stanford–Ioannidis self% for that author |
| Per country | avg_self_citation_pct | Mean of those percentages |
| Germany authors | /api/analytics/self-citation/authors?scope=country&entity=deu | Paginated Germany ranking |
| Country sort | /api/analytics/rankings?metric=avg_self_citation_pct | 170 countries in this snapshot |
This is not “most self-citations in absolute counts.” A researcher with 64 citations and a 70% self-share can outrank a researcher with 25,000 citations and a low self-share.
Top of the Germany self-citation author ranking
| Researcher | Institution | Field | self_citation_pct | Citations (all) | Global rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wismüller, Axel | Klinikum der Universität München | Clinical Medicine | 81.68% | 573 | 69,694 |
| Dornheim, Tobias | Center for Advanced Systems Understanding (CASUS) | Physics & Astronomy | 75.15% | 994 | 15,852 |
| Ferner, Kirsten J. | Museum für Naturkunde | Biomedical Research | 70.31% | 64 | 593,191 |
| Singh, Satyvir | Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen | Physics & Astronomy | 69.64% | 168 | 145,002 |
| Kühne, Olaf | Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen | Social Sciences | 68.80% | 359 | 44,767 |
| Liang, Yunfeng | Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH | Physics & Astronomy | 66.10% | 1,233 | 165,856 |
| Vorberger, Jan | HZDR - Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf | Physics & Astronomy | 62.61% | 1,134 | 130,084 |
| Riehn, Felix | Technische Universität Dortmund | Physics & Astronomy | 60.28% | 1,518 | 230,134 |
| Veberǐc, Darko | Karlsruher Institut für Technologie | Physics & Astronomy | 60.08% | 2,267 | 191,646 |
| Boche, Holger | Technische Universität München | Information & Communication Technologies | 59.19% | 811 | 128,721 |
Small-n caveat: several names near the top have under 400 total citations (Ferner 64, Singh 168, Kühne 359). Percentages swing hard on small denominators. Always read citations (all) and global rank next to self_citation_pct.
Higher-citation Germany names still high on self-citation %
Filtering the same Germany pull toward researchers with larger citation totals:
| Researcher | Field | self_citation_pct | Citations (all) | Global rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liang, Yunfeng | Physics & Astronomy | 66.10% | 1,233 | 165,856 |
| Vorberger, Jan | Physics & Astronomy | 62.61% | 1,134 | 130,084 |
| Riehn, Felix | Physics & Astronomy | 60.28% | 1,518 | 230,134 |
| Veberǐc, Darko | Physics & Astronomy | 60.08% | 2,267 | 191,646 |
| Unger, Michael | Physics & Astronomy | 58.56% | 2,495 | 99,568 |
| Brezinsek, Sebastijan | Physics & Astronomy | 56.44% | 2,206 | 57,988 |
Veberǐc, Darko (KIT; Physics) is a useful higher-citation example: 60.08% self-citation share, 2,267 citations, global rank 191,646. Brezinsek, Sebastijan has 2,206 citations at 56.44%.
Germany’s mean is mid-pack — the tail is where percentages spike
Stat sentence: Among 170 countries ranked by avg_self_citation_pct, Germany is #71 at about 11.77%, with a 10,933-scholar cohort. That mean sits next to India and above the United Kingdom in this snapshot. High individual percentages exist in the tail; they do not by themselves prove misconduct, and they do not rewrite the Germany top researchers ranks.
How to use this metric responsibly
- Prefer the profile over a screenshot of one percentage.
- Compare all-citations vs excluding-self (
ns) ranks on the same scholar page. - Do not treat a high
self_citation_pctas proof of misconduct; field norms and collaboration patterns differ. Physics rows are common in this Germany higher-citation tail. - For named universities and field mix, use Germany top universities and Germany field strengths.
- When you cite a paper, the Journal Quality Report is the journal-side companion.
Germany cluster and related Directory pages
- Germany Top 2% universities 2026
- Germany top researchers 2026
- Germany self-cited scientists 2026 (this page)
- Germany field strengths 2026
- Find, verify, and cite a Germany Top 2% scientist
- Germany Top 2% directory 2026 (hub)
- United Kingdom Top 2% universities 2026
- United Kingdom Top 2% directory 2026
- Australia Top 2% universities 2026
- Australia Top 2% directory 2026
- Pakistan Top 2% universities 2026
- United States Top 2% directory 2026
- Journal Quality Report on ABS Nexora
- Directory home
- Directory search
- Germany country analytics
- Analytics workspace
FAQ
Who is the most self-cited Germany Top 2% scientist in this snapshot? On self_citation_pct, Wismüller, Axel leads the Germany-scoped author ranking at 81.68% (573 citations; rank 69,694).
Is Germany a high self-citation country? The Germany mean is about 11.77%, rank 71 of 170 — next to India, and above the United Kingdom and Australia in this file. A high individual tail does not make the country mean extreme.
Why do some Germany names show 60–82% self-citation? The ranking is a percentage. Small citation totals produce large percentages. Physics is over-represented in the higher-citation tail. Read the citation column.
What API field should I quote? Quote self_citation_pct for a person and avg_self_citation_pct for Germany. Do not relabel them as “self-citation count.”
Does a high percentage mean the scholar is not influential? Not by itself. Check rank_all, rank_ns, field, and the full profile — e.g. Veberǐc, Darko (2,267 citations) or Brezinsek, Sebastijan (2,206 citations).
Where can I reproduce the Germany list? /api/analytics/self-citation/authors?scope=country&entity=deu&listing=single_year and the Germany country page analytics views.
How do I cite a Germany Top 2% scientist after checking self-citation? Follow how to find, verify, and cite: name, listing (single-year vs career), year, rank, and the live scholar URL.