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Science in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka ranks #96 of 189 countries on research quality in 2022-now (#99 all time), with 21k research works and 5.9% of them in the world's top 10%.

World rank, 2022-now
#96
of 189 · #99 all time
Works, 2022-now
21k
▲ 16% vs 2018-21
Citations
659k
9.3 per fractional work, all time
Top-10% rate
5.9%
all institutions 10.0%
vs its own fields
0.52×
1.00× is exactly expected
In the world top 100
0
0 in the top 1,000
Open access
60%
world 40%
International
22%
world 18%
Sri Lanka

What is Sri Lanka strongest at in science?

On research quality in 2022-now, Sri Lanka ranks highest in Engineering (#82 of 131), Civil and Structural Engineering (#46 of 71) and Environmental Science (#82 of 122). Relative to its size it is most specialised in Archeology, Space and Planetary Science and Paleontology.

FieldWorld rankWhere that sitsTop-10% rateWorksAll time
EngineeringField #82 of 131 6.0%2,295 #92 Institutions
Civil and Structural EngineeringSubfield #46 of 71 9.2%350 #67 Institutions
Environmental ScienceField #82 of 122 6.2%1,642 #83 Institutions
Social SciencesField #101 of 148 7.2%2,389 #101 Institutions
Agricultural and Biological SciencesField #87 of 124 7.2%1,690 #99 Institutions
Computer ScienceField #90 of 128 4.8%1,769 #93 Institutions
PsychologyField #78 of 106 4.7%714 #84 Institutions
Earth and Planetary SciencesField #60 of 78 7.7%463 #70 Institutions
Building and ConstructionSubfield #56 of 71 5.3%339 - Institutions
Plant ScienceSubfield #72 of 90 6.7%709 #88 Institutions
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular BiologyField #84 of 105 6.2%787 #90 Institutions
Sociology and Political ScienceSubfield #97 of 119 5.7%710 #100 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. ArcheologySubfield · 39.8 works · #18 of 158 active here11×
  2. Space and Planetary ScienceSubfield · 45.3 works · #22 of 158 active here9.3×
  3. PaleontologySubfield · 215.5 works · #31 of 212 active here7.3×
  4. Drug DiscoverySubfield · 12.8 works · #17 of 152 active here6.1×
  5. Library and Information SciencesSubfield · 21.3 works · #32 of 146 active here4.6×
  6. AnthropologySubfield · 308.6 works · #39 of 213 active here4.5×
  7. ArcheologySubfield · 303.8 works · #42 of 208 active here4.1×
  8. HorticultureSubfield · 12.9 works · #46 of 178 active here4.0×
← 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: 1.66× its world share, 1,921 worksAgricultural and Bio…Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology: 0.70× its world share, 913 worksBiochemistry, Geneti…Immunology and Microbiology: 0.93× its world share, 229 worksImmunology and Micro…Neuroscience: 0.55× its world share, 218 worksNeurosciencePharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics: 1.41× its world share, 121 worksPharmacology, Toxico…Chemical Engineering: 0.32× its world share, 27 worksChemical EngineeringChemistry: 0.66× its world share, 251 worksChemistryComputer Science: 1.12× its world share, 2,115 worksComputer ScienceEarth and Planetary Sciences: 1.43× its world share, 546 worksEarth and Planetary …Energy: 0.78× its world share, 174 worksEnergyEngineering: 0.71× its world share, 2,589 worksEngineeringEnvironmental Science: 1.60× its world share, 1,935 worksEnvironmental ScienceMaterials Science: 0.57× its world share, 488 worksMaterials ScienceMathematics: 0.39× its world share, 112 worksMathematicsPhysics and Astronomy: 0.24× its world share, 130 worksPhysics and AstronomyDentistry: 0.71× its world share, 85 worksDentistryHealth Professions: 1.10× its world share, 709 worksHealth ProfessionsMedicine: 0.91× its world share, 4,285 worksMedicineNursing: 1.69× its world share, 202 worksNursingVeterinary: 1.09× its world share, 36 worksVeterinaryArts and Humanities: 1.34× its world share, 945 worksArts and HumanitiesBusiness, Management and Accounting: 1.88× its world share, 1,479 worksBusiness, Management…Decision Sciences: 1.95× its world share, 459 worksDecision SciencesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance: 1.41× its world share, 736 worksEconomics, Econometr…Psychology: 1.15× its world share, 855 worksPsychologySocial Sciences: 0.92× its world share, 2,827 worksSocial Sciences1×world share
more than its size predictsabout as predictedless

Rings at 0.5×, 1× and 2×. Widest outward: Decision Sciences, 1.9×. Every wedge is a field page.

All 26 fields, with their numbers
  1. Decision Sciences1.95×459 works
  2. Business, Management and Accounting1.88×1,479 works
  3. Nursing1.69×202 works
  4. Agricultural and Biological Sciences1.66×1,921 works
  5. Environmental Science1.60×1,935 works
  6. Earth and Planetary Sciences1.43×546 works
  7. Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics1.41×121 works
  8. Economics, Econometrics and Finance1.41×736 works
  9. Arts and Humanities1.34×945 works
  10. Psychology1.15×855 works
  11. Computer Science1.12×2,115 works
  12. Health Professions1.10×709 works
  13. Veterinary1.09×36 works
  14. Immunology and Microbiology0.93×229 works
  15. Social Sciences0.92×2,827 works
  16. Medicine0.91×4,285 works
  17. Energy0.78×174 works
  18. Engineering0.71×2,589 works
  19. Dentistry0.71×85 works
  20. Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology0.70×913 works
  21. Chemistry0.66×251 works
  22. Materials Science0.57×488 works
  23. Neuroscience0.55×218 works
  24. Mathematics0.39×112 works
  25. Chemical Engineering0.32×27 works
  26. Physics and Astronomy0.24×130 works

Which fields of science does Sri Lanka work in?

In 2022-now, 34% of research in Sri Lanka is in Physical Sciences, 30% in Social Sciences. Its largest fields are Medicine (18%), Social Sciences (12%), Engineering (11%).

Physical Sciences: 8,368 fractional works · 34.3% of its workEngineering: 2,589 fractional works · 10.6% of its workElectrical and Electronic Engineering: 409 fractional works · 1.7% of its workCivil and Structural Engineering: 378 fractional works · 1.6% of its workBuilding and Construction: 374 fractional works · 1.5% of its workBiomedical Engineering: 350 fractional works · 1.4% of its workMechanical Engineering: 195 fractional works · 0.8% of its workIndustrial and Manufacturing Engineering: 159 fractional works · 0.7% of its workControl and Systems Engineering: 152 fractional works · 0.6% of its workAerospace Engineering: 121 fractional works · 0.5% of its workOcean Engineering: 101 fractional works · 0.4% of its workAutomotive Engineering: 101 fractional works · 0.4% of its workSafety, Risk, Reliability and Quality: 73 fractional works · 0.3% of its workMedia Technology: 72 fractional works · 0.3% of its workMechanics of Materials: 66 fractional works · 0.3% of its workSmaller subfields together: 37 fractional works · 0.2% of its workComputer Science: 2,115 fractional works · 8.7% of its workArtificial Intelligence: 722 fractional works · 3.0% of its workInformation Systems: 460 fractional works · 1.9% of its workComputer Vision and Pattern Recognition: 328 fractional works · 1.3% of its workComputer Networks and Communications: 200 fractional works · 0.8% of its workComputer Science Applications: 114 fractional works · 0.5% of its workSignal Processing: 104 fractional works · 0.4% of its workHuman-Computer Interaction: 94 fractional works · 0.4% of its workSmaller subfields together: 93 fractional works · 0.4% of its workEnvironmental Science: 1,935 fractional works · 7.9% of its workGlobal and Planetary Change: 326 fractional works · 1.3% of its workWater Science and Technology: 314 fractional works · 1.3% of its workEcology: 258 fractional works · 1.1% of its workEnvironmental Engineering: 222 fractional works · 0.9% of its workPollution: 196 fractional works · 0.8% of its workIndustrial and Manufacturing Engineering: 186 fractional works · 0.8% of its workManagement, Monitoring, Policy and Law: 152 fractional works · 0.6% of its workHealth, Toxicology and Mutagenesis: 151 fractional works · 0.6% of its workEnvironmental Chemistry: 64 fractional works · 0.3% of its workNature and Landscape Conservation: 51 fractional works · 0.2% of its workSmaller subfields together: 16 fractional works · 0.1% of its workEarth and Planetary Sciences: 546 fractional works · 2.2% of its workPaleontology: 215 fractional works · 0.9% of its workAtmospheric Science: 81 fractional works · 0.3% of its workOceanography: 54 fractional works · 0.2% of its workSmaller subfields together: 195 fractional works · 0.8% of its workMaterials Science: 488 fractional works · 2.0% of its workMaterials Chemistry: 204 fractional works · 0.8% of its workBiomaterials: 136 fractional works · 0.6% of its workPolymers and Plastics: 105 fractional works · 0.4% of its workSmaller subfields together: 43 fractional works · 0.2% of its workChemistry: 251 fractional works · 1.0% of its workOrganic Chemistry: 82 fractional works · 0.3% of its workInorganic Chemistry: 72 fractional works · 0.3% of its workAnalytical Chemistry: 70 fractional works · 0.3% of its workSmaller subfields together: 27 fractional works · 0.1% of its workEnergy: 174 fractional works · 0.7% of its workRenewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment: 144 fractional works · 0.6% of its workSmaller subfields together: 30 fractional works · 0.1% of its workPhysics and Astronomy: 130 fractional works · 0.5% of its workAstronomy and Astrophysics: 51 fractional works · 0.2% of its workSmaller subfields together: 79 fractional works · 0.3% of its workMathematics: 112 fractional works · 0.5% of its workChemical Engineering: 27 fractional works · 0.1% of its workSocial Sciences: 7,300 fractional works · 29.9% of its workSocial Sciences: 2,827 fractional works · 11.6% of its workSociology and Political Science: 850 fractional works · 3.5% of its workEducation: 500 fractional works · 2.0% of its workPolitical Science and International Relations: 325 fractional works · 1.3% of its workAnthropology: 309 fractional works · 1.3% of its workDemography: 115 fractional works · 0.5% of its workTransportation: 99 fractional works · 0.4% of its workGender Studies: 93 fractional works · 0.4% of its workSafety Research: 78 fractional works · 0.3% of its workHealth: 64 fractional works · 0.3% of its workUrban Studies: 58 fractional works · 0.2% of its workCommunication: 53 fractional works · 0.2% of its workCultural Studies: 49 fractional works · 0.2% of its workSmaller subfields together: 234 fractional works · 1.0% of its workBusiness, Management and Accounting: 1,479 fractional works · 6.1% of its workStrategy and Management: 380 fractional works · 1.6% of its workAccounting: 250 fractional works · 1.0% of its workMarketing: 248 fractional works · 1.0% of its workManagement Information Systems: 214 fractional works · 0.9% of its workOrganizational Behavior and Human Resource Management: 206 fractional works · 0.8% of its workManagement of Technology and Innovation: 118 fractional works · 0.5% of its workBusiness and International Management: 52 fractional works · 0.2% of its workSmaller subfields together: 11 fractional works · 0.0% of its workArts and Humanities: 945 fractional works · 3.9% of its workArcheology: 304 fractional works · 1.2% of its workHistory: 160 fractional works · 0.7% of its workLanguage and Linguistics: 87 fractional works · 0.4% of its workReligious studies: 76 fractional works · 0.3% of its workLiterature and Literary Theory: 73 fractional works · 0.3% of its workPhilosophy: 70 fractional works · 0.3% of its workVisual Arts and Performing Arts: 65 fractional works · 0.3% of its workSmaller subfields together: 110 fractional works · 0.5% of its workPsychology: 855 fractional works · 3.5% of its workSocial Psychology: 290 fractional works · 1.2% of its workClinical Psychology: 274 fractional works · 1.1% of its workExperimental and Cognitive Psychology: 124 fractional works · 0.5% of its workDevelopmental and Educational Psychology: 112 fractional works · 0.5% of its workSmaller subfields together: 54 fractional works · 0.2% of its workEconomics, Econometrics and Finance: 735 fractional works · 3.0% of its workEconomics and Econometrics: 542 fractional works · 2.2% of its workFinance: 112 fractional works · 0.5% of its workGeneral Economics, Econometrics and Finance: 81 fractional works · 0.3% of its workDecision Sciences: 459 fractional works · 1.9% of its workManagement Science and Operations Research: 265 fractional works · 1.1% of its workInformation Systems and Management: 156 fractional works · 0.6% of its workSmaller subfields together: 39 fractional works · 0.2% of its workHealth Sciences: 5,316 fractional works · 21.8% of its workMedicine: 4,285 fractional works · 17.6% of its workPublic Health, Environmental and Occupational Health: 507 fractional works · 2.1% of its workSurgery: 449 fractional works · 1.8% of its workEpidemiology: 325 fractional works · 1.3% of its workPulmonary and Respiratory Medicine: 246 fractional works · 1.0% of its workInfectious Diseases: 220 fractional works · 0.9% of its workEndocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism: 204 fractional works · 0.8% of its workPediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health: 177 fractional works · 0.7% of its workRadiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging: 166 fractional works · 0.7% of its workOncology: 162 fractional works · 0.7% of its workPhysiology: 161 fractional works · 0.7% of its workComplementary and alternative medicine: 147 fractional works · 0.6% of its workCardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine: 144 fractional works · 0.6% of its workPharmacology: 109 fractional works · 0.4% of its workPathology and Forensic Medicine: 102 fractional works · 0.4% of its workRheumatology: 92 fractional works · 0.4% of its workNeurology: 92 fractional works · 0.4% of its workObstetrics and Gynecology: 89 fractional works · 0.4% of its workPsychiatry and Mental health: 89 fractional works · 0.4% of its workEmergency Medicine: 72 fractional works · 0.3% of its workHematology: 70 fractional works · 0.3% of its workNephrology: 68 fractional works · 0.3% of its workBiochemistry: 59 fractional works · 0.2% of its workHealth Informatics: 53 fractional works · 0.2% of its workGenetics: 51 fractional works · 0.2% of its workReproductive Medicine: 50 fractional works · 0.2% of its workSmaller subfields together: 378 fractional works · 1.6% of its workHealth Professions: 709 fractional works · 2.9% of its workGeneral Health Professions: 344 fractional works · 1.4% of its workHealth Information Management: 95 fractional works · 0.4% of its workEmergency Medical Services: 60 fractional works · 0.2% of its workRadiological and Ultrasound Technology: 55 fractional works · 0.2% of its workSmaller subfields together: 155 fractional works · 0.6% of its workNursing: 202 fractional works · 0.8% of its workNutrition and Dietetics: 188 fractional works · 0.8% of its workSmaller subfields together: 14 fractional works · 0.1% of its workDentistry: 85 fractional works · 0.3% of its workVeterinary: 36 fractional works · 0.1% of its workLife Sciences: 3,402 fractional works · 13.9% of its workAgricultural and Biological Sciences: 1,921 fractional works · 7.9% of its workPlant Science: 809 fractional works · 3.3% of its workFood Science: 295 fractional works · 1.2% of its workEcology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics: 157 fractional works · 0.6% of its workGeneral Agricultural and Biological Sciences: 141 fractional works · 0.6% of its workSoil Science: 134 fractional works · 0.5% of its workAquatic Science: 104 fractional works · 0.4% of its workInsect Science: 99 fractional works · 0.4% of its workAgronomy and Crop Science: 70 fractional works · 0.3% of its workAnimal Science and Zoology: 63 fractional works · 0.3% of its workSmaller subfields together: 48 fractional works · 0.2% of its workBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology: 913 fractional works · 3.7% of its workMolecular Biology: 428 fractional works · 1.8% of its workGenetics: 208 fractional works · 0.9% of its workCell Biology: 70 fractional works · 0.3% of its workSmaller subfields together: 207 fractional works · 0.8% of its workImmunology and Microbiology: 229 fractional works · 0.9% of its workParasitology: 84 fractional works · 0.3% of its workImmunology: 73 fractional works · 0.3% of its workSmaller subfields together: 72 fractional works · 0.3% of its workNeuroscience: 218 fractional works · 0.9% of its workCognitive Neuroscience: 133 fractional works · 0.5% of its workSmaller subfields together: 85 fractional works · 0.3% of its workPharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics: 121 fractional works · 0.5% of its workPharmacology: 81 fractional works · 0.3% of its workSmaller subfields together: 40 fractional works · 0.2% of its workALL ITS WORKSri Lanka24kfractional works, 2022-now
Life Sciences14%Physical Sciences34%Health Sciences22%Social Sciences30%

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. Engineering2,58910.6%
    2. Computer Science2,1158.7%
    3. Environmental Science1,9357.9%
    4. Earth and Planetary Sciences5462.2%
    5. Materials Science4882.0%
    6. Chemistry2511.0%
    7. Energy1740.7%
    8. Physics and Astronomy1300.5%
    9. Mathematics1120.5%
    10. Chemical Engineering270.1%
  2. Social Sciences7,30029.9%
    1. Social Sciences2,82711.6%
    2. Business, Management and Accounting1,4796.1%
    3. Arts and Humanities9453.9%
    4. Psychology8553.5%
    5. Economics, Econometrics and Finance7353.0%
    6. Decision Sciences4591.9%
  3. Health Sciences5,31621.8%
    1. Medicine4,28517.6%
    2. Health Professions7092.9%
    3. Nursing2020.8%
    4. Dentistry850.3%
    5. Veterinary360.1%
  4. Life Sciences3,40213.9%
    1. Agricultural and Biological Sciences1,9217.9%
    2. Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology9133.7%
    3. Immunology and Microbiology2290.9%
    4. Neuroscience2180.9%
    5. Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics1210.5%
All of science, and how each field's share has moved since 1950: the Science domain explorer

Which keywords describe research in Sri Lanka?

By fractional works in 2022-now, weighted toward what it does more of than the world: Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Sustainability, Epidemiology, Climate Change, Environmental Impact, Supply Chain Management and Risk Management.

▲ 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. Machine Learning1,193▲ 1.47×96 topics
  2. Epidemiology1,177▲ 1.21×138 topics
  3. Deep Learning1,168▲ 1.39×85 topics
  4. Sustainability1,018▲ 1.71×114 topics
  5. Climate Change964▲ 1.45×116 topics
  6. Environmental Impact722▲ 1.74×68 topics
  7. Globalization519◆ 1.08×127 topics
  8. Supply Chain Management468▲ 2.1×24 topics
  9. COVID-19467▲ 1.48×29 topics
  10. Neural Networks460▲ 1.22×40 topics
  11. Remote Sensing423▲ 1.42×36 topics
  12. Public Health409◆ 1.15×60 topics
  13. Renewable Energy399◆ 1.13×55 topics
  14. Antioxidant389▲ 2.3×51 topics
  15. Consumer Behavior368▲ 2.4×18 topics
  16. Risk Management365▲ 3.1×20 topics
  17. Pandemic361▲ 1.49×13 topics
  18. Healthcare336▲ 1.21×36 topics
  19. Economic Growth310▲ 1.56×35 topics
  20. Antioxidant Activity293▲ 1.93×31 topics
  21. Social Capital292▲ 2.3×20 topics
  22. Convolutional Neural Networks282▲ 1.59×14 topics
  23. Ecosystem Services274▲ 2.9×14 topics
  24. Genetic Diversity269▲ 2.5×22 topics
  25. Digital Transformation249▲ 1.89×23 topics
  26. Environmental Monitoring224▲ 2.4×15 topics
  27. Vaccine Development223▲ 3.6×11 topics
  28. Recycling221▲ 2.4×10 topics
  29. Waste Management217▲ 2.2×11 topics
  30. Intersectionality203▲ 4.4×13 topics
  31. Social Inequality201▲ 3.1×13 topics
  32. Antimicrobial200▲ 2.9×13 topics
  33. Agricultural Origins190▲ 24×1 topic
  34. Radiocarbon Dating190▲ 24×1 topic
  35. African Diaspora177▲ 19×4 topics
  36. Archaeology of Resistance174▲ 79×1 topic
  37. Black Feminist Theory174▲ 79×1 topic
  38. Food Supply Chain159▲ 5.8×2 topics
  39. business impact135▲ 6.2×1 topic
  40. economic effects135▲ 6.2×1 topic

Which research topics does Sri Lanka publish the most in?

Its largest topics in 2022-now are Archaeology and ancient environmental studies, Historical and Cultural Archaeology Studies, COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts.

Archaeology and ancient …189Archaeology and ancient environmental studies: 189 fractional worksHistorical and Cultural …174Historical and Cultural Archaeology Studies: 174 fractional worksCOVID-19 Pandemic Impacts: 135 fractional worksTechnology Adoption and User Behaviour: 116 fractional worksSmart Agriculture and AI107Smart Agriculture and AI: 107 fractional worksDigital Marketing and Social Media: 93 fractional worksMosquito-borne diseases and control: 86 fractional worksConstruction Project Management and Performance: 85 fractional worksOnline Learning and Analytics: 80 fractional worksHistorical Architecture and Urbanism: 78 fractional worksAsian Geopolitics and Ethnography: 74 fractional worksEnvironmental Sustainability in Business: 74 fractional works
PaleontologyAnthropologyEconomics and EconometricsInformation Systems and Management8 others

Area is fractional works in 2022-now; colour is the subfield each topic belongs to. Every tile is a topic page.

  1. 1 Archaeology and ancient environmental studies Paleontology 189 works
  2. 2 Historical and Cultural Archaeology Studies Anthropology 174 works
  3. 3 COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts Economics and Econometrics 135 works
  4. 4 Technology Adoption and User Behaviour Information Systems and Management 116 works
  5. 5 Smart Agriculture and AI Plant Science 107 works
  6. 6 Digital Marketing and Social Media Sociology and Political Science 93 works
  7. 7 Mosquito-borne diseases and control Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health 86 works
  8. 8 Construction Project Management and Performance Management Science and Operations Research 85 works
  9. 9 Online Learning and Analytics Computer Science Applications 80 works
  10. 10 Historical Architecture and Urbanism History 78 works
  11. 11 Asian Geopolitics and Ethnography Political Science and International Relations 74 works
  12. 12 Environmental Sustainability in Business Marketing 74 works

Which universities in Sri Lanka lead research?

University of Moratuwa, University of Sri Jayewardenepura and Department of Archaeology rank highest in Sri Lanka on research quality in 2022-now.

0%5%10%15%mean 6.6%fractional works (log) →share in the world top 10% →Department of Archae…University of JaffnaUniversity of Sri Ja…University of Moratuwa
above the meannear itbelow it

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

  1. 1University of MoratuwaUniversity · Moratuwa · #2,507 worldwide5.1% top 10% · 2.2k works
  2. 2University of Sri JayewardenepuraUniversity · Colombo · #3,215 worldwide5.5% top 10% · 1.9k works
  3. 3Department of ArchaeologyGovernment institution · Colombo · #3,471 worldwide13.1% top 10% · 1.1k works
  4. 4University of JaffnaUniversity · Jaffna · #3,690 worldwide9.1% top 10% · 746 works
  5. 5University of PeradeniyaUniversity · Kandy · #4,479 worldwide5.7% top 10% · 1.9k works
  6. 6General Sir John Kotelawala Defence UniversityUniversity · Colombo · #4,506 worldwide3.9% top 10% · 569 works
  7. 7Sri Lanka Institute of Information TechnologyUniversity · Colombo · #4,632 worldwide4.7% top 10% · 1.6k works
  8. 8University of ColomboUniversity · Colombo · #4,964 worldwide4.3% top 10% · 2.3k works
  9. 9University of KelaniyaUniversity · Kelaniya · #5,054 worldwide4.7% top 10% · 1.5k works
  10. 10University of RuhunaUniversity · Galle · #5,075 worldwide5.2% top 10% · 862 works
  11. 11Sabaragamuwa University of Sri LankaUniversity · Ratnapura · #5,351 worldwide6.2% top 10% · 624 works
  12. 12Wayamba University of Sri LankaUniversity · Kuliyapitiya · #5,898 worldwide7.7% top 10% · 460 works
  13. 13Uva Wellassa UniversityUniversity · Badulla · #6,128 worldwide9.1% top 10% · 355 works
  14. 14Rajarata University of Sri LankaUniversity · Anuradhapura · #6,517 worldwide7.7% top 10% · 423 works
  15. 15University of the Visual & Performing ArtsUniversity · Colombo · #7,205 worldwide7.0% top 10% · 250 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 Sri Lanka

Who are the top researchers in Sri Lanka?

Samath Dhamminda Dharmaratne, Meththika Suharshini Vithanage and Nuwan Darshana Wickramasinghe rank highest among researchers based in Sri Lanka.

  1. 1 Samath Dhamminda Dharmaratne #11,594 worldwide 239k citations · 254 works
  2. 2 Meththika Suharshini Vithanage #12,535 worldwide 34k citations · 518 works
  3. 3 Nuwan Darshana Wickramasinghe #21,611 worldwide 40k citations · 179 works
  4. 4 Anushka Upamali Rajapaksha #43,312 worldwide 13k citations · 136 works
  5. 5 Devarajan Rathish #81,508 worldwide 12k citations · 102 works
  6. 6 Hasintha Wijesekara #89,789 worldwide 6.4k citations · 86 works
  7. 7 Nuwan Gunarathne #90,843 worldwide 2.3k citations · 92 works
  8. 8 Thilini Chathurika Gamage #133,466 worldwide 877 citations · 55 works
  9. 9 I. A. U. N. Gunatilleke #145,207 worldwide 9.8k citations · 157 works
  10. 10 Sachith Mettananda #153,988 worldwide 20k citations · 178 works
Top researchers in Sri Lanka

Which cities in Sri Lanka are research hubs?

  1. 1 ColomboSri Lanka 33k works

How open and international is Sri Lanka's research?

60% of its research is openly available (world: 40%), and 22% is written with international co-authors (world: 18%).

openly available59.9%not open40.1%

World: 40% of research is openly available.

with international co-authors21.9%domestic only78.1%

World: 18% is written across borders.

In 2022-now, 64% of its research is openly available (world 63%) and 23% is written with co-authors abroad (world 22%). Against what its own mix of topics predicts, that is 1.01× the expected open access and 1.03× the expected international share, which puts it #155 of 173 countries on openness.

How has Sri Lanka's research grown?

Output in 2022-2025 was 16% 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 Sri Lanka as a percentage of every work published that year, 0.083% in 2024.

still counting0.050%0.10%0.15%Sri Lanka0.10% in 202519801990200020102020

Fractional works of Sri Lanka 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, 5.5% of its 71k works since 1950 reached the world top 10% for their field and year.

still counting5%10%15%all institutions10.0% in 2025Sri Lanka6.4% in 2025200020102020

Of each year's output, the share that reached the world's 10% most cited for its field and year. Peak 9.1% in 2001.

Which countries have research most like Sri Lanka's?

Tanzania is Sri Lanka's closest research twin: of all countries, its research is spread across the fields most like Sri Lanka's, with both strong in Decision Sciences.

  1. 1 TanzaniaBoth strong in Decision Sciences, Business, Management and Accounting, Nursing 0.81 Compare
  2. 2 GhanaBoth strong in Business, Management and Accounting, Decision Sciences, Nursing 0.80 Compare
  3. 3 BhutanBoth strong in Agricultural and Biological Sciences, Environmental Science, Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics 0.80 Compare
  4. 4 FijiBoth strong in Nursing, Agricultural and Biological Sciences, Environmental Science 0.80 Compare
  5. 5 NamibiaBoth strong in Business, Management and Accounting, Nursing, Agricultural and Biological Sciences 0.79 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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Sri Lanka on Science Explorer

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Research fields in Sri Lanka

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What is Sri Lanka strongest at in science?

On research quality in 2022-now, Sri Lanka ranks highest in Engineering (#82 of 131), Civil and Structural Engineering (#46 of 71) and Environmental Science (#82 of 122). Relative to its size it is most specialised in Archeology, Space and Planetary Science and Paleontology.

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