This database identifies 4,492 “highly-cited” statistical papers from 147 peer-reviewed journals. Standardly, papers have ≥ 100 citations in the ISI Web of Science since 1945, and also have ≥ 40 citations in 2018-2020 (or 2020-2022, with a recent update), with few exceptional papers qualifying early, with 35 citations in 2020 or 2022. To render this large set of papers more useful, we have developed a 4-level hierarchical classification system, with Kingdom, Phylum, Class, and Order, with three additional levels, Family, Genus, and Species, providing paper features. Count-based measures are presented to assess the paper’s impact, trajectory, diffusion, and primary application area, including the estimated fraction of citation counts that represent “applied” use. These measures aid in conducting targeted searches for papers of interest, and they are particularly beneficial for applied statisticians looking to enhance their statistical practice. Methodological statisticians can also benefit from this database, as it offers a list of the most impactful statistical literature at present. We hope that this database provides a reasonably comprehensive overview of the significant contributions made in the field of statistics, allowing statisticians to stay informed about the latest advancements and trends in their areas of expertise.
| Spheres | 14 Measures | Description | Median Value (IQR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Impact | WoS_Citations | Total WoS citations accessed on1/10/2023 | 413 (252-834) |
| HotFactor | Average [WoS(2020), WoS(2021), WoS(2022)] | 33 (20-67) | |
| Impact | Geometric mean[WoS_Citations, HotFactor] | 114 (73-222) | |
| Domain Impact | Applied- Fraction % |
Max[(WoS_Citations - SP - MaxMath)/WoS_Citations 69% 44-80% - Min(0.15, 150/WoS_Citations), 0], where - SP = number of Statistics Probability journal citations - MaxMath = the maximum number of citations from Mathematics,Mathematics Applied, or Mathematics Interdisciplinary Applications |
69% (45-80) |
| SP% | Percentage of Statistics Probability journal citations | 14 % (5-35) | |
| HFApplied |
Average applied WoS citation count for 2018-2020 Where HFApplied = HotFactor × Applied Fraction |
17 (9-39) | |
| HFTheory |
Average theoretical WoS citation count for 2018-2020 where HFTheory = HotFactor × (1 - Applied Fraction) |
12 (7-20) | |
| GSR | Google_Citations/WoS_Citations, both accessioned in 2021, except for the 109 papers added in 2023 | 2.07 (1.74-2.43) | |
| Diffusion | Total Citations/Citations in the top WoS category | 3.52 (2.21-5.66) | |
| Trajectory | Peak% | 100*WoS(2020)/Peak, where WoS(2020) = 2020 citations | 0.90 (0.71-1.00) |
| Slope% | Slope of counts from 2016-2020/AVG(2016-2020) - 1 | 6.4 (0.0-14.1) | |
| Tilt2004 | WoS(2020)/Max(13.33,WoS2004) | 2.10 (1.35-3.68) |