The CWTS (Centre for Science and Technology Studies) at Leiden University has announced a significant step forward in its quest for transparency and honesty in the publication of global university rankings.
CWTS has already been ranking universities according to the number and proportion of open-access publications. Last year, British institutions, including the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the University of Dundee, and Nottingham Trent University, were leading the field for the proportion of open-access publications.
The International Network of Research Management Societies (INORMS) and the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science have recognized the need for greater transparency.
CWTS has now published the open edition of Leiden Ranking using data from OpenAlex rather than proprietary data but ranking the same universities used in the standard Leiden rankings. An interactive dashboard makes it possible to see which universities perform better if open-access publications are used.
There is a strong correlation between the two rankings. However, some American universities, including Harvard, Michigan, and Johns Hopkins, do well for total publications in the open edition while Chinese universities, such as Fudan, Zhejiang, and Harbin Institute of Technology, do less well. South Africa, including the University of Johannesburg, University of Pretoria, and Kwazulu-Natal University, also performs well in the open access rankings.
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