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Nonprofit · Grand Rapids · United States

Acton Institute

In research, Acton Institute stands highest in Computer Science (#2,102 of 7,020 worldwide), Physical Sciences (#10,019 of 21,541 worldwide) and Social Sciences (#8,268 of 16,945 worldwide), over all time.

acton.orgROR OpenAlex
World rank, all time
#14,662
of 42,892
Rank in United States
#3,203
of 8,685
Research works
811
▲ 44% vs 2013–17
Citations
14k
17.5 per fractional work
Top-10% rate
6.2%
record average 16.5%
Open access
36%
world 28%

What is Acton Institute known for in research?

The fields where it stands highest, over all time, ranked among every institution above the floor in each field.

FieldWorld rankWhere that sitsTop-10% rateWorks
Computer ScienceField #2,102 of 7,020 30.5%134
Physical SciencesDomain #10,019 of 21,541 15.5%496
Social SciencesDomain #8,268 of 16,945 18.8%181
EngineeringField #6,734 of 11,412 10.7%277

Each strip is that field’s whole ranked pool, with the notch where Acton Institute sits in it, in the colour of the band that rank falls in. The track under the rate is the rate itself: it carries no world mark, because the world rate differs by field (from about 6% to 21% in this record).

Field profile

Location quotient across every field it publishes in: outside the ring is more than an institution of this size would be expected to publish, inside it is less.

Agricultural and Biological Sciences: 0.50× its world share, 1 worksAgricultural and Bio…Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology: 0.75× its world share, 2 worksBiochemistry, Geneti…Neuroscience: 0.89× its world share, 1 worksNeuroscienceChemical Engineering: 9.75× its world share, 1 worksChemical EngineeringChemistry: 2.17× its world share, 1 worksChemistryComputer Science: 2.51× its world share, 8 worksComputer ScienceEarth and Planetary Sciences: 0.29× its world share, 0 worksEarth and Planetary …Energy: 4.41× its world share, 2 worksEnergyEngineering: 1.11× its world share, 6 worksEngineeringEnvironmental Science: 0.38× its world share, 1 worksEnvironmental ScienceMaterials Science: 0.06× its world share, 0 worksMaterials ScienceMathematics: 1.09× its world share, 0 worksMathematicsPhysics and Astronomy: 0.78× its world share, 1 worksPhysics and AstronomyHealth Professions: 0.90× its world share, 1 worksHealth ProfessionsMedicine: 0.69× its world share, 5 worksMedicineNursing: 0.87× its world share, 0 worksNursingVeterinary: 2.09× its world share, 0 worksVeterinaryArts and Humanities: 3.79× its world share, 4 worksArts and HumanitiesBusiness, Management and Accounting: 1.06× its world share, 1 worksBusiness, Management…Decision Sciences: 0.88× its world share, 0 worksDecision SciencesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance: 0.83× its world share, 1 worksEconomics, Econometr…Psychology: 1.12× its world share, 1 worksPsychologySocial Sciences: 0.22× its world share, 1 worksSocial Sciences1×world share
more than its size predictsabout as predictedless

Rings at 0.5×, 1× and 2×. Widest outward: Chemical Engineering, 9.8×. Every wedge is a field page.

Who are the top researchers at Acton Institute?

Ranked on the composite score, John A. Swets, Sheldon Baron and Charles I. Malme lead among researchers whose main affiliation is Acton Institute.

  1. 1 John A. Swets United States · #200,660 worldwide 219 citations · 18 works
  2. 2 Sheldon Baron United States · #250,147 worldwide 151 citations · 18 works
  3. 3 Charles I. Malme United States · #467,825 worldwide 51 citations · 17 works
  4. 4 Samuel Gregg United States · #851,182 worldwide 6 citations · 27 works
  5. 5 Jordan J. Ballor United States · #887,482 worldwide 3 citations · 20 works
  6. 6 Barbara Allen Woods United States · #997,570 worldwide 25 citations · 15 works
  7. 7 P. W. Smith United States · #1,073,498 worldwide 43 citations · 23 works
  8. 8 David L. Klepper United States · #1,228,520 worldwide 5 citations · 18 works
  9. 9 Paul Benni United States · #1,274,828 worldwide 50 citations · 15 works
  10. 10 Hugh Beyer United States · #1,313,273 worldwide 19 citations · 30 works
All ranked researchers at Acton Institute

Which keywords describe research at Acton Institute?

By fractional works in 2022–2025, weighted toward what it does more of than the world: Requirements Engineering, Agile Software Development, Empirical Studies, User-Centered Design, Heat Transfer, Biosensors, Calvinism and Reformation.

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

Size is fractional works in 2022–2025 in the topics tagged with each word; colour is the word's share of this institution's work against its share of the world's. The 37 words are chosen for being large and distinctive. Each links to the topic it comes from most.

All 37 words, with their numbers
  1. Requirements Engineering4▲ 258×3 topics
  2. Agile Software Development2▲ 252×1 topic
  3. Empirical Studies2▲ 252×1 topic
  4. User-Centered Design2▲ 247×2 topics
  5. Deep Learning2▲ 1.41×7 topics
  6. Heat Transfer2▲ 8.6×3 topics
  7. Biosensors2▲ 7.7×3 topics
  8. Machine Learning2▲ 1.22×11 topics
  9. Sustainability2▲ 1.54×5 topics
  10. Calvinism1▲ 149×1 topic
  11. Reformation1▲ 123×1 topic
  12. Cardiovascular Disease1▲ 3.1×2 topics
  13. Convolutional Neural Networks1▲ 4.5×4 topics
  14. Data-Driven1▲ 373×1 topic
  15. Epidemiology1▼ 0.85×10 topics
  16. History1▲ 4.9×2 topics
  17. Ion-Selective Electrodes1▲ 51×1 topic
  18. Optical Sensors1▲ 36×1 topic
  19. Personas1▲ 373×1 topic
  20. COVID-191▲ 2.2×3 topics
  21. Complications1▲ 6.2×3 topics
  22. Renewable Energy1▲ 2.1×2 topics
  23. Nanogenerators1▲ 20×1 topic
  24. Wearable1▲ 20×1 topic
  25. Aromaticity1▲ 177×1 topic
  26. Artificial Intelligence1▲ 1.91×3 topics
  27. Diabetes1▲ 5.2×1 topic
  28. France1▲ 143×1 topic
  29. Geothermal Energy1▲ 159×1 topic
  30. Global Christianity1▲ 177×1 topic
  31. Ground Source Heat Pump1▲ 159×1 topic
  32. Helical Polymers1▲ 177×1 topic
  33. Human-Computer Interaction1▲ 15×1 topic
  34. Hypoglycemia1▲ 55×1 topic
  35. Short-Term Missions1▲ 177×1 topic
  36. Sociopolitical1▲ 76×1 topic
  37. Usability1▲ 55×1 topic

Which research topics does Acton Institute publish most on?

By volume in 2022–2025: Software Engineering Techniques and Practices, Reformation and Early Modern Christianity, Persona Design and Applications and Analytical Chemistry and Sensors.

Software Engineering Tec…2Software Engineering Techniques and Practices: 2 fractional worksReformation and Early Mo…1Reformation and Early Modern Christianity: 1 fractional worksPersona Design and Appli…1Persona Design and Applications: 1 fractional worksAnalytical Chemistry and…1Analytical Chemistry and Sensors: 1 fractional worksAdvanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials: 1 fractional worksDiabetes Management and Research: 1 fractional worksFrench Historical and Cu…1French Historical and Cultural Studies: 1 fractional worksChristian Theology and Mission: 1 fractional worksSynthesis and Properties of Aromatic Compounds: 1 fractional worksUsability and User Inter…1Usability and User Interface Design: 1 fractional works
Information SystemsHistoryHuman-Computer InteractionBioengineering4 others

Area is fractional works; colour is the subfield each topic belongs to.

  1. 1 Software Engineering Techniques and Practices Information Systems 2 works
  2. 2 Reformation and Early Modern Christianity History 1 works
  3. 3 Persona Design and Applications Human-Computer Interaction 1 works
  4. 4 Analytical Chemistry and Sensors Bioengineering 1 works
  5. 5 Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials Biomedical Engineering 1 works
  6. 6 Diabetes Management and Research Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism 1 works
  7. 7 French Historical and Cultural Studies History 1 works
  8. 8 Christian Theology and Mission Religious studies 1 works
  9. 9 Synthesis and Properties of Aromatic Compounds Organic Chemistry 1 works
  10. 10 Usability and User Interface Design Human-Computer Interaction 1 works

How open and international is its research?

Against the world’s own shares — the tick on each track. Both are shares of its output, so they sit on one scale and can be read against each other as well as against the world.

openly available36.0%not open64.0%

World: 28% of research is openly available.

with international co-authors3.9%domestic only96.1%

World: 19% is written across borders.

How has Acton Institute's research output changed?

Output in 2018–2022 was 44% higher than in 2013–2017.

1990200020102020
grewheldshrank

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

Other research institutions in Grand Rapids

All research institutions in Grand Rapids

Research measures only: rankings here say nothing about teaching, admissions or student experience. Comparable institutions and collaboration partners are in the interactive view on the map.