Self-cited researchers in the United Kingdom: Top 2% scientists 2026
Live Directory analytics: the UK mean self_citation_pct is about 8.60% (rank 139 of 170). The UK-scoped author ranking opens with Long, Kelvin F. (88.04%, 92 citations).
Which UK 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=gbr for the 2026 single-year listing, the author ranking opens with Long, Kelvin F. (Stellar Engines Ltd; 88.04%; 92 total citations; global rank 322,556). That is a share of that author’s citations, not a claim that any named scholar engaged in misconduct.
The United Kingdom country mean on rankings metric avg_self_citation_pct is about 8.60% across 18,269 listed scholars — rank 139 of 170 countries. That mean sits next to the United States (8.30%; n=73,459) and below Australia (9.54%; n=8,934), China (9.80%; n=35,681), and Germany (11.77%; n=10,933).
Small-n caveat: a high individual percentage is not a country-level verdict. The UK mean is low (rank 139 of 170 — toward the bottom of the self-citation ranking). The names at the top of this ranking are not the same names as the UK 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 |
| UK authors | /api/analytics/self-citation/authors?scope=country&entity=gbr | Paginated UK 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 92 citations and an 88% self-share can outrank a researcher with 72,000 citations and a low self-share.
Top of the UK self-citation author ranking
| Researcher | Institution | Field | self_citation_pct | Citations (all) | Global rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long, Kelvin F. | Stellar Engines Ltd | Engineering | 88.04% | 92 | 322,556 |
| Ekpo, Sunday Cookey | Manchester Metropolitan University | Information & Communication Technologies | 82.49% | 377 | 96,112 |
| Crowley, Liam M. | University of Oxford | Biomedical Research | 70.70% | 529 | 138,816 |
| Bansal, Aakash | Loughborough University | Information & Communication Technologies | 65.82% | 196 | 319,293 |
| Weiss, Stephan | University of Strathclyde | Information & Communication Technologies | 65.77% | 371 | 252,009 |
| Penta, Raimondo | University of Glasgow | Engineering | 63.87% | 274 | 314,559 |
| Naim, Arshi | London Institute of Sustainable Development | Information & Communication Technologies | 62.22% | 270 | 113,958 |
| Sharapov, Sergei E. | United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority | Physics & Astronomy | 62.12% | 1,378 | 159,363 |
| Twyford, Alex David | The University of Edinburgh | Biology | 60.76% | 999 | 53,697 |
| Maggi, Costanza F. | United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority | Physics & Astronomy | 59.23% | 1,381 | 73,668 |
Small-n caveat: several names near the top have under 400 total citations (Long 92, Bansal 196, Penta 274, Naim 270, Ekpo 377, Weiss 371). Percentages swing hard on small denominators. Always read citations (all) and global rank next to self_citation_pct.
Higher-citation UK names still high on self-citation %
Filtering the same UK pull toward researchers with larger citation totals:
| Researcher | Field | self_citation_pct | Citations (all) | Global rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sharapov, Sergei E. | Physics & Astronomy | 62.12% | 1,378 | 159,363 |
| Maggi, Costanza F. | Physics & Astronomy | 59.23% | 1,381 | 73,668 |
| van Loon, Jacco Th | Physics & Astronomy | 51.73% | 1,417 | 68,777 |
| Wakeford, Hannah R. | Physics & Astronomy | 51.52% | 1,745 | 91,212 |
| Zane, Silvia | Physics & Astronomy | 51.51% | 1,918 | 90,717 |
| Pinilla, Paola | Physics & Astronomy | 51.04% | 1,587 | 50,115 |
Sharapov, Sergei E. (United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority; Physics) is a useful mid-rank example: 62.12% self-citation share, 1,378 citations, global rank 159,363. Maggi, Costanza F. has 1,381 citations at 59.23%.
The UK mean is low — the tail is where percentages spike
Stat sentence: Among 170 countries ranked by avg_self_citation_pct, the United Kingdom is #139 at about 8.60%, with a 18,269-scholar cohort. That mean sits next to the United States and below Australia and Germany in this snapshot. High individual percentages exist in the tail; they do not by themselves prove misconduct, and they do not rewrite the UK 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 UK higher-citation tail. - For named universities and field mix, use UK top universities and UK field strengths.
- When you cite a paper, the Journal Quality Report is the journal-side companion.
United Kingdom cluster and related Directory pages
- UK Top 2% universities 2026
- UK top researchers 2026
- UK self-cited scientists 2026 (this page)
- UK field strengths 2026
- Find, verify, and cite a UK Top 2% scientist
- United Kingdom Top 2% directory 2026 (hub)
- Germany Top 2% universities 2026
- Germany Top 2% directory 2026
- Australia Top 2% universities 2026
- Australia Top 2% directory 2026
- Pakistan Top 2% universities 2026
- Pakistan Top 2% directory 2026
- United States Top 2% directory 2026
- Journal Quality Report on ABS Nexora
- Directory home
- Directory search
- United Kingdom country analytics
- Analytics workspace
FAQ
Who is the most self-cited UK Top 2% scientist in this snapshot? On self_citation_pct, Long, Kelvin F. leads the UK-scoped author ranking at 88.04% (92 citations; rank 322,556).
Is the UK a high self-citation country? The UK mean is about 8.60%, rank 139 of 170 — next to the United States, and below Australia and Germany in this file. A high individual tail does not make the country mean extreme.
Why do some UK names show 62–88% self-citation? The ranking is a percentage. Small citation totals produce large percentages. Read the citation column.
What API field should I quote? Quote self_citation_pct for a person and avg_self_citation_pct for the United Kingdom. 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. Sharapov, Sergei E. (1,378 citations) or Maggi, Costanza F. (1,381 citations).
Where can I reproduce the UK list? /api/analytics/self-citation/authors?scope=country&entity=gbr&listing=single_year and the United Kingdom country page analytics views.
How do I cite a UK 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.