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University · Athabasca · Canada

Athabasca University

In research, Athabasca University stands highest in Health Sciences (#2,677 of 11,982 worldwide), Social Sciences (#3,725 of 10,521 worldwide) and Social Sciences (#2,872 of 6,365 worldwide), 2022–2025. Relative to its size it is most specialised in Computer Science Applications — Computer Science Applications is 15.1× its share of world research.

athabascau.caROR OpenAlex
World rank, 2022–2025
#6,694
of 28,054 · #5,971 all time
Rank in Canada
#115
of 403
Research works
3.4k
▼ 7% vs 2013–17
Citations
65k
18.8 per fractional work
Top-10% rate
25.7%
record average 16.5%
Open access
37%
world 28%

What is Athabasca University known for in research?

The fields where it stands highest, 2022–2025, ranked among every institution above the floor in each field.

FieldWorld rankWhere that sitsTop-10% rateWorksAll time
Health SciencesDomain #2,677 of 11,982 23.9%101 #3398
Social SciencesDomain #3,725 of 10,521 28.1%301 #1344
Social SciencesField #2,872 of 6,365 29.1%165 #892
Physical SciencesDomain #7,726 of 12,888 23.7%173 #8130
Computer ScienceField #3,039 of 4,667 30.8%85 #1718
PsychologyField #1,615 of 2,181 30.4%62 #1105

Each strip is that field’s whole ranked pool, with the notch where Athabasca University 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).

Which of those standings moved

The same fields on both windows: where it stood over the whole record, and where it stands in 2022–2025. The distance is the story, and it is the one thing the two rank columns above cannot show.

  1. Health Sciences#3,398 #2,677
  2. Social Sciences#1,344 #3,725
  3. Social Sciences#892 #2,872
  4. Physical Sciences#8,130 #7,726
  5. Computer Science#1,718 #3,039
  6. Psychology#1,105 #1,615
all time2022–2025, better2022–2025, worse

A dot further right is a better standing. Fields it was not ranked in over the whole record are left out.

What does Athabasca University specialise in?

Where its research is concentrated relative to its size: Computer Science Applications takes 15.1× the share of its output that it takes of world research.

  1. Computer Science ApplicationsSubfield · 22.6 works15×
← less than its size predicts1×more →

Location quotient, a volume reading rather than an impact one. It surfaces small, lopsided specialities.

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: 0.31× its world share, 9 worksAgricultural and Bio…Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology: 0.26× its world share, 8 worksBiochemistry, Geneti…Immunology and Microbiology: 0.20× its world share, 1 worksImmunology and Micro…Neuroscience: 1.19× its world share, 12 worksNeurosciencePharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics: 0.39× its world share, 1 worksPharmacology, Toxico…Chemical Engineering: 0.47× its world share, 1 worksChemical EngineeringChemistry: 0.18× its world share, 2 worksChemistryComputer Science: 1.80× its world share, 85 worksComputer ScienceEarth and Planetary Sciences: 1.07× its world share, 10 worksEarth and Planetary …Energy: 0.12× its world share, 1 worksEnergyEngineering: 0.32× its world share, 29 worksEngineeringEnvironmental Science: 0.87× its world share, 26 worksEnvironmental ScienceMaterials Science: 0.09× its world share, 2 worksMaterials ScienceMathematics: 0.70× its world share, 5 worksMathematicsPhysics and Astronomy: 0.91× its world share, 12 worksPhysics and AstronomyDentistry: 0.45× its world share, 1 worksDentistryHealth Professions: 2.35× its world share, 38 worksHealth ProfessionsMedicine: 0.50× its world share, 58 worksMedicineNursing: 1.33× its world share, 4 worksNursingArts and Humanities: 1.45× its world share, 25 worksArts and HumanitiesBusiness, Management and Accounting: 1.45× its world share, 28 worksBusiness, Management…Decision Sciences: 0.78× its world share, 4 worksDecision SciencesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance: 1.21× its world share, 16 worksEconomics, Econometr…Psychology: 3.36× its world share, 62 worksPsychologySocial Sciences: 2.15× its world share, 165 worksSocial Sciences1×world share
more than its size predictsabout as predictedless

Rings at 0.5×, 1× and 2×. Widest outward: Psychology, 3.4×. Every wedge is a field page.

Who are the top researchers at Athabasca University?

Ranked on the composite score, Terry Anderson, Martha Cleveland‐Innes and Kam Jugdev lead among researchers whose main affiliation is Athabasca University.

  1. 1 Terry Anderson Canada · #7,271 worldwide 1.4k citations · 55 works
  2. 2 Martha Cleveland‐Innes Canada · #16,147 worldwide 620 citations · 47 works
  3. 3 Kam Jugdev Canada · #103,346 worldwide 251 citations · 25 works
  4. 4 Peter Smith Canada · #135,729 worldwide 227 citations · 68 works
  5. 5 Rory McGreal Canada · #166,630 worldwide 93 citations · 50 works
  6. 6 Alvin Finkel Canada · #294,646 worldwide 16 citations · 28 works
  7. 7 Sabine Graf Canada · #308,040 worldwide 153 citations · 46 works
  8. 8 Norman J. Temple Canada · #314,007 worldwide 97 citations · 49 works
  9. 9 Kinshuk Kinshuk Canada · #320,847 worldwide 312 citations · 109 works
  10. 10 Dianne Conrad Canada · #490,640 worldwide 30 citations · 18 works
All ranked researchers at Athabasca University

Which keywords describe research at Athabasca University?

By fractional works in 2022–2025, weighted toward what it does more of than the world: Online Learning, Student Engagement, Globalization, Social Justice, Mental Health, Identity, Learning Analytics and MOOCs.

▲ 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 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. Globalization32▲ 2.7×40 topics
  2. Machine Learning32▲ 1.59×39 topics
  3. Online Learning28▲ 5.6×7 topics
  4. Mental Health27▲ 3.0×29 topics
  5. Public Health23▲ 2.6×30 topics
  6. Educational Technology23▲ 3.1×19 topics
  7. Climate Change20▲ 1.25×45 topics
  8. Social Justice20▲ 5.6×20 topics
  9. Identity20▲ 4.5×25 topics
  10. Student Engagement19▲ 7.8×6 topics
  11. E-Learning19▲ 3.0×10 topics
  12. Higher Education18▲ 5.3×13 topics
  13. Learning Analytics15▲ 20×2 topics
  14. MOOCs15▲ 26×2 topics
  15. Educational Data Mining14▲ 27×1 topic
  16. Massive Open Online Courses14▲ 27×1 topic
  17. Nationalism14▲ 5.1×12 topics
  18. Instructional Design14▲ 29×3 topics
  19. Neoliberalism13▲ 5.8×14 topics
  20. Motivation12▲ 4.9×7 topics
  21. Distance Education11▲ 8.5×3 topics
  22. Student Satisfaction10▲ 9.0×2 topics
  23. Health Equity10▲ 6.2×6 topics
  24. Cognitive Engagement10▲ 22×2 topics
  25. Immigration10▲ 14×3 topics
  26. Blended Learning10▲ 11×1 topic
  27. Community of Inquiry10▲ 27×1 topic
  28. Feminism10▲ 5.5×9 topics
  29. Informal Learning9▲ 12×4 topics
  30. Lifelong Learning9▲ 7.2×8 topics
  31. Self-Regulation9▲ 8.1×4 topics
  32. Decolonization8▲ 16×5 topics
  33. Collaborative Learning8▲ 18×2 topics
  34. Metacognition8▲ 8.3×4 topics
  35. Traditional Ecological Knowledge7▲ 29×2 topics
  36. Cooperative Learning7▲ 22×2 topics
  37. Settler Colonialism7▲ 28×2 topics
  38. Cognitive Apprenticeship7▲ 24×1 topic
  39. Cultural Competence7▲ 9.2×5 topics
  40. Scaffolding7▲ 24×1 topic

Which research topics does Athabasca University publish most on?

By volume in 2022–2025: Online Learning and Analytics, Online and Blended Learning, Innovative Teaching and Learning Methods and Indigenous Health, Education, and Rights.

Online Learning and Anal…14Online Learning and Analytics: 14 fractional worksOnline and Blended Learning: 10 fractional worksInnovative Teaching and …7Innovative Teaching and Learning Methods: 7 fractional worksIndigenous Health, Educa…7Indigenous Health, Education, and Rights: 7 fractional worksCanadian Identity and History: 6 fractional worksIntelligent Tutoring Systems and Adaptive Learning: 6 fractional worksE-Learning and Knowledge…4E-Learning and Knowledge Management: 4 fractional worksLabor Movements and Unions: 4 fractional worksHigher Education Learning Practices: 4 fractional worksConsumer Attitudes and Food Labeling: 4 fractional works
Computer Science ApplicationsEducationDevelopmental and Educational PsychologyHealth4 others

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

  1. 1 Online Learning and Analytics Computer Science Applications 14 works
  2. 2 Online and Blended Learning Education 10 works
  3. 3 Innovative Teaching and Learning Methods Developmental and Educational Psychology 7 works
  4. 4 Indigenous Health, Education, and Rights Health 7 works
  5. 5 Canadian Identity and History Sociology and Political Science 6 works
  6. 6 Intelligent Tutoring Systems and Adaptive Learning Artificial Intelligence 6 works
  7. 7 E-Learning and Knowledge Management Computer Science Applications 4 works
  8. 8 Labor Movements and Unions Public Administration 4 works
  9. 9 Higher Education Learning Practices Education 4 works
  10. 10 Consumer Attitudes and Food Labeling Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health 4 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 available36.9%not open63.1%

World: 28% of research is openly available.

with international co-authors20.8%domestic only79.2%

World: 19% is written across borders.

How has Athabasca University's research output changed?

Output in 2018–2022 was 7% lower 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.

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.