Self-citations vs total citations: how Top 2% lists and ABS Nexora treat them
Stanford–Ioannidis Top 2% indicators publish both all-citations and excluding-self (ns) ranks. ABS Nexora stores self_citation_pct plus rank_ns / citations_ns so you can compare both views on every scholar profile.
How do Top 2% lists treat self-citations?
Direct answer: The Elsevier / Stanford–Ioannidis World’s Top 2% Scientists datasets publish parallel indicators with all citations and excluding self-citations (commonly labeled ns = no self). ABS Nexora ingests both: profiles and analytics show all-citations metrics (e.g. rank_all, total_citations_all) alongside excluding-self metrics (rank_ns, total_citations_ns, h_index_ns, c_score_ns), plus the native share field self_citation_pct (source column self%). Product copy on ABS Nexora states ranks are shown with self-citations excluded first, then all-citations in parentheses where the UI presents both.
What each field means on ABS Nexora
| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
self_citation_pct | Share of citations that are self-citations (0–1 in storage; shown as %) |
total_citations_all / h_index_all / rank_all / c_score_all | Indicators including self-citations |
total_citations_ns / h_index_ns / rank_ns / c_score_ns | Same family excluding self-citations |
Country avg_self_citation_pct | Mean of researchers’ self_citation_pct in a national cohort |
Concrete Directory example
Boonpok, Chawalit (2026 single-year leaderboard row):
- Self-citation %: ~98.07%
- Total citations (all): 1,451
- Total citations (ns / excluding self): 28
That gap is why a single “citations” number is never enough for verification.
Country aggregates use the share metric
Country “most self-cited” rankings on ABS Nexora use avg_self_citation_pct, not the sum of self-citation counts. Example leaders: Uzbekistan ~31.71%, Ukraine ~27.47%, Azerbaijan ~26.17% (min cohort 5). Large systems such as the USA (~8.30%) and UK (~8.60%) sit much lower on the same average.
Why both views exist
- All-citations capture total bibliometric footprint, including author self-references.
- Excluding self-citations reduces inflation from self-referencing and is the view many evaluators check first.
- Self-citation % summarizes the gap as a single share — useful for screening, not as a verdict.
Practical reading order on a profile
- Note main field / subfield and listing type (single-year vs career).
- Compare rank_ns vs rank_all (and citations_ns vs citations_all).
- Read self_citation_pct in context of peers — open Analytics self-citation views.
- Cross-check institution and country pages for cohort norms.
Related guides
- Most self-cited countries
- Top self-citing researchers
- How to interpret self-citation stats on profiles
- 2026 edition explained
- How to find & verify a Top 2% profile
FAQ
Does the Top 2% list remove self-citations entirely? It publishes both all-citations and excluding-self (ns) indicator sets. ABS Nexora surfaces both.
What does ns mean? In this Directory’s ingested columns, ns labels the excluding self-citations variants (rank, citations, h-index, c-score).
Is self_citation_pct calculated by ABS Nexora? No — it is ingested from the published Top 2% indicator file (self% → self_citation_pct).
Why show self-citation % at all? It makes the gap between all-citations and ns-citations explicit, which helps committees and journalists avoid one-number mistakes.
Where do I see country averages? Analytics self-citation leaderboards and country rankings sorted by avg_self_citation_pct.