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Science in Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone ranks #112 of 189 countries on research quality in 2022-now (#98 all time), with 1.1k research works and 6.6% of them in the world's top 10%.

World rank, 2022-now
#112
of 189 · #98 all time
Works, 2022-now
1.1k
▲ 104% vs 2018-21
Citations
27k
8.9 per fractional work, all time
Top-10% rate
6.6%
all institutions 10.0%
vs its own fields
0.93×
1.00× is exactly expected
In the world top 100
0
0 in the top 1,000
Open access
68%
world 40%
International
39%
world 18%

What is Sierra Leone strongest at in science?

On research quality in 2022-now, Sierra Leone ranks highest in Medicine (#99 of 152) and Social Sciences (#107 of 148). Relative to its size it is most specialised in Horticulture, Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology and Development.

FieldWorld rankWhere that sitsTop-10% rateWorksAll timeInstitutions
MedicineField #99 of 152 8.7%209 #83 Institutions
Social SciencesField #107 of 148 5.1%209 #95 Institutions

Where its research is concentrated

Location quotient: how much more (or less) of each node it does than its size predicts. Drawn around 1×, where "twice the world share" and "half of it" are the same distance apart in opposite directions. A volume reading, which on a country axis is largely population and industrial structure.

  1. HorticultureSubfield · 2.6 works · #86 of 178 active here15×
  2. Applied Microbiology and BiotechnologySubfield · 6.4 works · #105 of 202 active here9.8×
  3. DevelopmentSubfield · 10.8 works · #110 of 190 active here8.1×
  4. Library and Information SciencesSubfield · 2.0 works · #96 of 146 active here8.0×
  5. VirologySubfield · 6.0 works · #105 of 204 active here7.8×
  6. Public AdministrationSubfield · 5.4 works · #95 of 186 active here7.6×
  7. Infectious DiseasesSubfield · 48.7 works · #126 of 221 active here5.5×
  8. FinanceSubfield · 20.3 works · #120 of 210 active here5.1×
← less than its size predicts1×more →

The whole field profile

All 26 fields at once. A specialist and a generalist produce the same ranked list and a completely different shape.

Agricultural and Biological Sciences: 2.30× its world share, 144 worksAgricultural and Bio…Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology: 0.30× its world share, 21 worksBiochemistry, Geneti…Immunology and Microbiology: 1.65× its world share, 22 worksImmunology and Micro…Neuroscience: 0.08× its world share, 2 worksNeurosciencePharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics: 0.62× its world share, 3 worksPharmacology, Toxico…Chemical Engineering: 0.14× its world share, 1 worksChemical EngineeringChemistry: 0.16× its world share, 3 worksChemistryComputer Science: 0.52× its world share, 53 worksComputer ScienceEarth and Planetary Sciences: 0.47× its world share, 10 worksEarth and Planetary …Energy: 0.40× its world share, 5 worksEnergyEngineering: 0.38× its world share, 76 worksEngineeringEnvironmental Science: 1.30× its world share, 85 worksEnvironmental ScienceMaterials Science: 0.19× its world share, 9 worksMaterials ScienceMathematics: 0.94× its world share, 15 worksMathematicsPhysics and Astronomy: 0.08× its world share, 2 worksPhysics and AstronomyDentistry: 0.14× its world share, 1 worksDentistryHealth Professions: 1.63× its world share, 56 worksHealth ProfessionsMedicine: 0.98× its world share, 248 worksMedicineNursing: 3.56× its world share, 23 worksNursingVeterinary: 1.39× its world share, 2 worksVeterinaryArts and Humanities: 0.58× its world share, 22 worksArts and HumanitiesBusiness, Management and Accounting: 2.20× its world share, 94 worksBusiness, Management…Decision Sciences: 1.05× its world share, 13 worksDecision SciencesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance: 4.11× its world share, 116 worksEconomics, Econometr…Psychology: 0.84× its world share, 34 worksPsychologySocial Sciences: 1.54× its world share, 257 worksSocial Sciences1×world share
more than its size predictsabout as predictedless

Rings at 0.5×, 1× and 2×. Widest outward: Economics, Econometrics and Finance, 4.1×. Every wedge is a field page.

All 26 fields, with their numbers
  1. Economics, Econometrics and Finance4.11×116 works
  2. Nursing3.56×23 works
  3. Agricultural and Biological Sciences2.30×144 works
  4. Business, Management and Accounting2.20×94 works
  5. Immunology and Microbiology1.65×22 works
  6. Health Professions1.63×56 works
  7. Social Sciences1.54×257 works
  8. Veterinary1.39×2 works
  9. Environmental Science1.30×85 works
  10. Decision Sciences1.05×13 works
  11. Medicine0.98×248 works
  12. Mathematics0.94×15 works
  13. Psychology0.84×34 works
  14. Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics0.62×3 works
  15. Arts and Humanities0.58×22 works
  16. Computer Science0.52×53 works
  17. Earth and Planetary Sciences0.47×10 works
  18. Energy0.40×5 works
  19. Engineering0.38×76 works
  20. Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology0.30×21 works
  21. Materials Science0.19×9 works
  22. Chemistry0.16×3 works
  23. Chemical Engineering0.14×1 works
  24. Dentistry0.14×1 works
  25. Neuroscience0.08×2 works
  26. Physics and Astronomy0.08×2 works

Which fields of science does Sierra Leone work in?

In 2022-now, 41% of research in Sierra Leone is in Social Sciences, 25% in Health Sciences. Its largest fields are Social Sciences (20%), Medicine (19%), Agricultural and Biological Sciences (11%). It does 1.6× the world's share of Social Sciences.

Social Sciences: 535 fractional works · 40.7% of its workSocial Sciences: 257 fractional works · 19.5% of its workSociology and Political Science: 74 fractional works · 5.6% of its workEducation: 51 fractional works · 3.9% of its workPolitical Science and International Relations: 26 fractional works · 2.0% of its workSafety Research: 15 fractional works · 1.2% of its workHealth: 13 fractional works · 1.0% of its workAnthropology: 13 fractional works · 1.0% of its workDevelopment: 11 fractional works · 0.8% of its workUrban Studies: 10 fractional works · 0.8% of its workGender Studies: 9 fractional works · 0.7% of its workLaw: 8 fractional works · 0.6% of its workDemography: 5 fractional works · 0.4% of its workPublic Administration: 5 fractional works · 0.4% of its workCommunication: 4 fractional works · 0.3% of its workHuman Factors and Ergonomics: 4 fractional works · 0.3% of its workTransportation: 3 fractional works · 0.2% of its workSmaller subfields together: 7 fractional works · 0.5% of its workEconomics, Econometrics and Finance: 116 fractional works · 8.8% of its workEconomics and Econometrics: 80 fractional works · 6.1% of its workFinance: 20 fractional works · 1.5% of its workGeneral Economics, Econometrics and Finance: 15 fractional works · 1.2% of its workBusiness, Management and Accounting: 93 fractional works · 7.1% of its workStrategy and Management: 28 fractional works · 2.1% of its workAccounting: 26 fractional works · 2.0% of its workOrganizational Behavior and Human Resource Management: 18 fractional works · 1.4% of its workManagement Information Systems: 9 fractional works · 0.7% of its workMarketing: 6 fractional works · 0.4% of its workManagement of Technology and Innovation: 5 fractional works · 0.4% of its workBusiness and International Management: 3 fractional works · 0.2% of its workPsychology: 34 fractional works · 2.6% of its workClinical Psychology: 15 fractional works · 1.2% of its workSocial Psychology: 12 fractional works · 0.9% of its workApplied Psychology: 3 fractional works · 0.2% of its workSmaller subfields together: 3 fractional works · 0.2% of its workArts and Humanities: 22 fractional works · 1.7% of its workReligious studies: 8 fractional works · 0.6% of its workLanguage and Linguistics: 3 fractional works · 0.3% of its workSmaller subfields together: 10 fractional works · 0.8% of its workDecision Sciences: 13 fractional works · 1.0% of its workManagement Science and Operations Research: 9 fractional works · 0.7% of its workSmaller subfields together: 4 fractional works · 0.3% of its workHealth Sciences: 331 fractional works · 25.1% of its workMedicine: 248 fractional works · 18.9% of its workInfectious Diseases: 49 fractional works · 3.7% of its workPublic Health, Environmental and Occupational Health: 48 fractional works · 3.7% of its workPediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health: 39 fractional works · 3.0% of its workEpidemiology: 28 fractional works · 2.1% of its workSurgery: 8 fractional works · 0.6% of its workObstetrics and Gynecology: 7 fractional works · 0.5% of its workCardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine: 7 fractional works · 0.5% of its workEmergency Medicine: 6 fractional works · 0.5% of its workOncology: 6 fractional works · 0.4% of its workRadiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging: 4 fractional works · 0.3% of its workPulmonary and Respiratory Medicine: 4 fractional works · 0.3% of its workComplementary and alternative medicine: 4 fractional works · 0.3% of its workPsychiatry and Mental health: 3 fractional works · 0.3% of its workOphthalmology: 3 fractional works · 0.3% of its workHematology: 3 fractional works · 0.2% of its workPhysiology: 3 fractional works · 0.2% of its workSmaller subfields together: 26 fractional works · 2.0% of its workHealth Professions: 56 fractional works · 4.3% of its workGeneral Health Professions: 34 fractional works · 2.6% of its workEmergency Medical Services: 10 fractional works · 0.8% of its workHealth Information Management: 5 fractional works · 0.4% of its workSmaller subfields together: 6 fractional works · 0.5% of its workNursing: 23 fractional works · 1.7% of its workNutrition and Dietetics: 22 fractional works · 1.6% of its workSmaller subfields together: 1 fractional works · 0.1% of its workVeterinary: 2 fractional works · 0.2% of its workDentistry: 1 fractional works · 0.1% of its workPhysical Sciences: 258 fractional works · 19.6% of its workEnvironmental Science: 85 fractional works · 6.5% of its workGlobal and Planetary Change: 18 fractional works · 1.4% of its workManagement, Monitoring, Policy and Law: 15 fractional works · 1.1% of its workPollution: 11 fractional works · 0.8% of its workEcology: 11 fractional works · 0.8% of its workWater Science and Technology: 8 fractional works · 0.6% of its workHealth, Toxicology and Mutagenesis: 6 fractional works · 0.5% of its workEnvironmental Engineering: 6 fractional works · 0.4% of its workIndustrial and Manufacturing Engineering: 6 fractional works · 0.4% of its workNature and Landscape Conservation: 3 fractional works · 0.3% of its workSmaller subfields together: 2 fractional works · 0.1% of its workEngineering: 76 fractional works · 5.8% of its workCivil and Structural Engineering: 14 fractional works · 1.1% of its workElectrical and Electronic Engineering: 14 fractional works · 1.1% of its workBuilding and Construction: 13 fractional works · 1.0% of its workMechanical Engineering: 8 fractional works · 0.6% of its workBiomedical Engineering: 5 fractional works · 0.4% of its workMedia Technology: 5 fractional works · 0.4% of its workControl and Systems Engineering: 4 fractional works · 0.3% of its workSmaller subfields together: 13 fractional works · 1.0% of its workComputer Science: 53 fractional works · 4.0% of its workInformation Systems: 33 fractional works · 2.5% of its workArtificial Intelligence: 9 fractional works · 0.7% of its workSmaller subfields together: 10 fractional works · 0.8% of its workMathematics: 15 fractional works · 1.1% of its workModeling and Simulation: 9 fractional works · 0.7% of its workSmaller subfields together: 5 fractional works · 0.4% of its workEarth and Planetary Sciences: 10 fractional works · 0.7% of its workGeophysics: 4 fractional works · 0.3% of its workSmaller subfields together: 5 fractional works · 0.4% of its workMaterials Science: 9 fractional works · 0.7% of its workMaterials Chemistry: 4 fractional works · 0.3% of its workSmaller subfields together: 5 fractional works · 0.4% of its workEnergy: 5 fractional works · 0.4% of its workRenewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment: 3 fractional works · 0.2% of its workSmaller subfields together: 2 fractional works · 0.1% of its workChemistry: 3 fractional works · 0.3% of its workPhysics and Astronomy: 2 fractional works · 0.2% of its workChemical Engineering: 1 fractional works · 0.1% of its workLife Sciences: 192 fractional works · 14.6% of its workAgricultural and Biological Sciences: 144 fractional works · 10.9% of its workPlant Science: 56 fractional works · 4.2% of its workEcology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics: 20 fractional works · 1.6% of its workFood Science: 14 fractional works · 1.1% of its workGeneral Agricultural and Biological Sciences: 13 fractional works · 1.0% of its workAgronomy and Crop Science: 10 fractional works · 0.7% of its workSoil Science: 8 fractional works · 0.6% of its workAnimal Science and Zoology: 7 fractional works · 0.5% of its workForestry: 7 fractional works · 0.5% of its workInsect Science: 4 fractional works · 0.3% of its workSmaller subfields together: 5 fractional works · 0.3% of its workImmunology and Microbiology: 22 fractional works · 1.7% of its workApplied Microbiology and Biotechnology: 6 fractional works · 0.5% of its workVirology: 6 fractional works · 0.5% of its workParasitology: 4 fractional works · 0.3% of its workImmunology: 4 fractional works · 0.3% of its workSmaller subfields together: 2 fractional works · 0.1% of its workBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology: 21 fractional works · 1.6% of its workMolecular Biology: 9 fractional works · 0.7% of its workGenetics: 5 fractional works · 0.4% of its workSmaller subfields together: 7 fractional works · 0.5% of its workPharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics: 3 fractional works · 0.2% of its workNeuroscience: 2 fractional works · 0.1% of its workALL ITS WORKSierra Leone1,315fractional works, 2022-now
Life Sciences15%Physical Sciences20%Health Sciences25%Social Sciences41%

Each ring splits the one inside it: the four domains of science, their fields, their subfields. Size is fractional works in 2022-now. Every slice is a page; the interactive view zooms down to single topics and colours each by how much more of it this country does than the world.

Its 4 domains and 26 fields, with their numbers
    1. Social Sciences25719.5%
    2. Economics, Econometrics and Finance1168.8%
    3. Business, Management and Accounting937.1%
    4. Psychology342.6%
    5. Arts and Humanities221.7%
    6. Decision Sciences131.0%
    1. Medicine24818.9%
    2. Health Professions564.3%
    3. Nursing231.7%
    4. Veterinary20.2%
    5. Dentistry10.1%
    1. Environmental Science856.5%
    2. Engineering765.8%
    3. Computer Science534.0%
    4. Mathematics151.1%
    5. Earth and Planetary Sciences100.7%
    6. Materials Science90.7%
    7. Energy50.4%
    8. Chemistry30.3%
    9. Physics and Astronomy20.2%
    10. Chemical Engineering10.1%
    1. Agricultural and Biological Sciences14410.9%
    2. Immunology and Microbiology221.7%
    3. Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology211.6%
    4. Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics30.2%
    5. Neuroscience20.1%
All of science, and how each field's share has moved since 1950: the Science domain explorer

Which keywords describe research in Sierra Leone?

By fractional works in 2022-now, weighted toward what it does more of than the world: Economic Growth, Fiscal Policy, Maternal Mortality, Vaccine, Governance, Community Health Workers, Health Inequalities and Poverty Reduction.

▲ more of its work than of the world's◆ about the world's share▼ less than the world's

Size is fractional works in 2022-now in the topics tagged with each word; colour is the word's share of this country's work against its share of the world's. The 40 words are chosen for being large and distinctive. Each links to the topic it comes from most.

All 40 words, with their numbers
  1. Epidemiology78▲ 1.48×79 topics
  2. Economic Growth68▲ 6.3×21 topics
  3. Climate Change66▲ 1.86×62 topics
  4. Globalization59▲ 2.3×48 topics
  5. Sustainability56▲ 1.76×50 topics
  6. Public Health45▲ 2.4×40 topics
  7. Environmental Impact41▲ 1.83×44 topics
  8. Fiscal Policy40▲ 15×6 topics
  9. Vaccine38▲ 7.3×10 topics
  10. Maternal Mortality37▲ 13×5 topics
  11. Governance36▲ 8.5×9 topics
  12. Pathogenesis36▲ 5.4×18 topics
  13. Immune Response36▲ 4.8×12 topics
  14. Community Health Workers35▲ 30×2 topics
  15. Health Inequalities34▲ 21×3 topics
  16. Poverty Reduction33▲ 19×5 topics
  17. Child Mortality32▲ 34×1 topic
  18. Health Systems32▲ 34×1 topic
  19. Institutional Quality31▲ 23×2 topics
  20. Economic Development30▲ 2.9×20 topics
  21. Risk Management30▲ 4.8×10 topics
  22. Infectious Diseases28▲ 6.4×8 topics
  23. Smallholder Farmers28▲ 10×5 topics
  24. Genetic Diversity27▲ 4.7×17 topics
  25. Regulation26▲ 3.8×11 topics
  26. Transmission26▲ 36×3 topics
  27. Outbreak24▲ 49×2 topics
  28. Adaptation24▲ 6.2×7 topics
  29. Ebola Virus24▲ 65×1 topic
  30. Reservoirs24▲ 65×1 topic
  31. ICT22▲ 13×3 topics
  32. Corruption22▲ 11×6 topics
  33. Gender Equality21▲ 5.8×11 topics
  34. Global Burden of Disease21▲ 6.4×4 topics
  35. Monetary Policy21▲ 6.6×7 topics
  36. Inequality20▲ 6.8×5 topics
  37. Global Health20▲ 9.6×4 topics
  38. Finance20▲ 8.1×3 topics
  39. Inclusive Development19▲ 33×2 topics
  40. Knowledge Economy18▲ 13×2 topics

Which research topics does Sierra Leone publish the most in?

Its largest topics in 2022-now are Global Maternal and Child Health, Viral Infections and Outbreaks Research, Economic Growth and Development.

  1. 1 Global Maternal and Child Health Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health 32 works
  2. 2 Viral Infections and Outbreaks Research Infectious Diseases 24 works
  3. 3 Economic Growth and Development Information Systems 18 works
  4. 4 Child Nutrition and Water Access Nutrition and Dietetics 17 works
  5. 5 Fiscal Policy and Economic Growth Economics and Econometrics 17 works
  6. 6 Agriculture and Rural Development Research Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics 13 works
  7. 7 Taxation and Compliance Studies Economics and Econometrics 13 works
  8. 8 Islamic Finance and Banking Studies Accounting 12 works
  9. 9 Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare Safety Research 11 works
  10. 10 Microfinance and Financial Inclusion Economics and Econometrics 11 works
  11. 11 Cassava research and cyanide Plant Science 11 works
  12. 12 Vaccine Coverage and Hesitancy Health 10 works

Which universities in Sierra Leone lead research?

University of Sierra Leone, Njala University and University of Makeni rank highest in Sierra Leone on research quality in 2022-now.

0%5%10%mean 6.4%fractional works (log) →share in the world top 10% →Sierra Leone Agricul…Njala UniversityUniversity of MakeniUniversity of Sierra…
above the meannear itbelow it

One dot per institution in the list below. The upper left is the interesting corner.

  1. 1University of Sierra LeoneUniversity · Freetown · #4,316 worldwide5.1% top 10% · 501 works
  2. 2Njala UniversityUniversity · Bo · #5,643 worldwide6.9% top 10% · 307 works
  3. 3University of MakeniUniversity · Makeni · #18,096 worldwide5.7% top 10% · 66 works
  4. 4Sierra Leone Agricultural Research InstituteResearch facility · Freetown · #19,662 worldwide7.9% top 10% · 73 works

The track on each row is its top-10% rate; the tick is the average of all institutions, 10.0% (how it is set): teal above it, red below.

All ranked institutions in Sierra Leone

Who are the top researchers in Sierra Leone?

Haja Ramatulai Wurie, Amara Jambai and Rashid Ansumana rank highest among researchers based in Sierra Leone.

  1. 1 Haja Ramatulai Wurie #161,092 worldwide 2.4k citations · 68 works
  2. 2 Amara Jambai #176,221 worldwide 3.4k citations · 97 works
  3. 3 Rashid Ansumana #239,551 worldwide 4.4k citations · 163 works
  4. 4 Abdul Salami Bah #270,549 worldwide 111 citations · 29 works
  5. 5 Augustus Osborne #296,042 worldwide 4k citations · 162 works
  6. 6 Abdulai Jawo Bah #311,368 worldwide 1.3k citations · 87 works
  7. 7 Tom Sesay #361,722 worldwide 850 citations · 59 works
  8. 8 Alie H. Wurie #400,910 worldwide 1k citations · 19 works
  9. 9 Sahr M. Gevao #418,464 worldwide 4k citations · 32 works
  10. 10 Francis Smart #451,661 worldwide 771 citations · 38 works
Top researchers in Sierra Leone

How open and international is Sierra Leone's research?

68% of its research is openly available (world: 40%), and 39% is written with international co-authors (world: 18%).

openly available67.8%not open32.2%

World: 40% of research is openly available.

with international co-authors38.8%domestic only61.2%

World: 18% is written across borders.

In 2022-now, 87% of its research is openly available (world 63%) and 42% is written with co-authors abroad (world 22%). Against what its own mix of topics predicts, that is 1.19× the expected open access and 1.55× the expected international share, which puts it #30 of 173 countries on openness.

How has Sierra Leone's research grown?

Output in 2022-2025 was 104% higher than in 2018-2021.

still counting1990200020102020
grewheldshrank

The same series as a ribbon: one cell per year, darker for more. The line above answers how much; this answers when.

Its share of all research

Growing output can still be a shrinking share: all of science grows. This is Sierra Leone as a percentage of every work published that year, 0.0054% in 2024.

still counting0.0050%0.010%0.015%Sierra Leone0.0053% in 202519801990200020102020

Fractional works of Sierra Leone over all fractional works that year. How the balance of science has shifted.

How much of it reaches the world top 10%

Over the whole record, 6.9% of its 3k works since 1950 reached the world top 10% for their field and year.

still counting5%10%15%all institutions10.0% in 2025Sierra Leone8.3% in 202520102020

Of each year's output, the share that reached the world's 10% most cited for its field and year. Peak 13.5% in 2015.

Which countries have research most like Sierra Leone's?

Tanzania is Sierra Leone's closest research twin: of all countries, its research is spread across the fields most like Sierra Leone's, with both strong in Nursing.

  1. 1 TanzaniaBoth strong in Nursing, Business, Management and Accounting, Agricultural and Biological Sciences 0.95 Compare
  2. 2 GhanaBoth strong in Nursing, Economics, Econometrics and Finance, Business, Management and Accounting 0.95 Compare
  3. 3 KenyaBoth strong in Nursing, Economics, Econometrics and Finance, Agricultural and Biological Sciences 0.94 Compare
  4. 4 MalawiBoth strong in Nursing, Agricultural and Biological Sciences, Immunology and Microbiology 0.93 Compare
  5. 5 ZimbabweBoth strong in Economics, Econometrics and Finance, Business, Management and Accounting, Agricultural and Biological Sciences 0.91 Compare

Similarity is the correlation of each side's location quotients across every field it publishes in, on a log scale: 1 is the same shape of research, 0 is unrelated. It ignores size. How it is measured.

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Sierra Leone on Science Explorer

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Research fields in Sierra Leone

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