R&D Expenditures – Global U.S. Ranking

Doubting Science. Why?

KNOWLEDGE CREATION – BENCHMARKS

Along with R&D funding, research publications are an important measure for comparing countries’ scientific outputs and innovation capabilities. Not all publications are equal, but they are a useful metric on innovation overall. Fundamental discoveries and breakthroughs are published in scientific journals and are expanded upon by other scientists over time. Continuous and high-quality publications are essential qualifications for university researchers in an increasingly competitive environment.

U.S. research quality is stagnating. The U.S. continues to publish some of the most cited research but is losing ground on the international stage. Countries that have recently surpassed the U.S. in the top 1 percent of cited publications include the U.K., Australia, and Canada, all of which have implemented national research ‘excellence’ programs. China, now the world’s largest research producer, has more than doubled its share of the top 1 percent of cited publications amid ongoing restruc- turing of the country’s national research evaluation system.