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Research facility · Yorktown Heights · United States

IBM Research - Thomas J. Watson Research Center

In research, IBM Research - Thomas J. Watson Research Center stands highest in Physical Sciences (#1,691 of 12,888 worldwide), Computer Science (#940 of 4,667 worldwide) and Artificial Intelligence (#753 of 1,884 worldwide), 2022–2025. Relative to its size it is most specialised in Artificial Intelligence and Computer Networks and Communications — Artificial Intelligence is 8.2× its share of world research.

research.ibm.com/labs/watson/index.shtmlROR OpenAlex
World rank, 2022–2025
#2,611
of 28,054 · #69 all time
Rank in United States
#386
of 4,192
Research works
22k
▼ 40% vs 2013–17
Citations
1.2M
56.7 per fractional work
Top-10% rate
22.8%
record average 16.5%
Open access
10%
world 28%

What is IBM Research - Thomas J. Watson Research Center 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
Physical SciencesDomain #1,691 of 12,888 21.0%335 #43
Computer ScienceField #940 of 4,667 25.0%161 #37
Artificial IntelligenceSubfield #753 of 1,884 28.1%77 #53
EngineeringField #2,807 of 6,636 13.5%111 #82
Electrical and Electronic EngineeringSubfield #1,442 of 2,318 14.4%73 #16

Each strip is that field’s whole ranked pool, with the notch where IBM Research - Thomas J. Watson Research Center 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. Physical Sciences#43 #1,691
  2. Computer Science#37 #940
  3. Artificial Intelligence#53 #753
  4. Engineering#82 #2,807
  5. Electrical and Electronic Engineering#16 #1,442
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 IBM Research - Thomas J. Watson Research Center specialise in?

Where its research is concentrated relative to its size: Artificial Intelligence takes 8.2× the share of its output that it takes of world research.

  1. Artificial IntelligenceSubfield · 77.3 works8.2×
  2. Computer Networks and CommunicationsSubfield · 22.0 works6.3×
← 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: 0.01× its world share, 0 worksAgricultural and Bio…Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology: 0.48× its world share, 10 worksBiochemistry, Geneti…Immunology and Microbiology: 0.08× its world share, 0 worksImmunology and Micro…Neuroscience: 1.01× its world share, 6 worksNeuroscienceChemical Engineering: 0.28× its world share, 0 worksChemical EngineeringChemistry: 0.41× its world share, 2 worksChemistryComputer Science: 5.29× its world share, 161 worksComputer ScienceEarth and Planetary Sciences: 0.28× its world share, 2 worksEarth and Planetary …Engineering: 1.90× its world share, 112 worksEngineeringEnvironmental Science: 0.24× its world share, 5 worksEnvironmental ScienceMaterials Science: 1.34× its world share, 18 worksMaterials ScienceMathematics: 2.32× its world share, 11 worksMathematicsPhysics and Astronomy: 2.85× its world share, 25 worksPhysics and AstronomyHealth Professions: 0.18× its world share, 2 worksHealth ProfessionsMedicine: 0.15× its world share, 11 worksMedicineArts and Humanities: 0.07× its world share, 1 worksArts and HumanitiesBusiness, Management and Accounting: 0.20× its world share, 2 worksBusiness, Management…Decision Sciences: 2.68× its world share, 10 worksDecision SciencesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance: 0.28× its world share, 2 worksEconomics, Econometr…Psychology: 0.31× its world share, 4 worksPsychologySocial Sciences: 0.11× its world share, 6 worksSocial Sciences1×world share
more than its size predictsabout as predictedless

Rings at 0.5×, 1× and 2×. Widest outward: Computer Science, 5.3×. Every wedge is a field page.

Who are the top researchers at IBM Research - Thomas J. Watson Research Center?

Ranked on the composite score, Jay Gambetta, J. Tersoff and Phaedon Avouris lead among researchers whose main affiliation is IBM Research - Thomas J. Watson Research Center.

  1. 1 Jay Gambetta United States · #3,844 worldwide 2.3k citations · 69 works
  2. 2 J. Tersoff United States · #5,507 worldwide 2.5k citations · 58 works
  3. 3 Phaedon Avouris United States · #5,549 worldwide 2.6k citations · 156 works
  4. 4 Charų C. Aggarwal United States · #5,931 worldwide 2.7k citations · 181 works
  5. 5 Paul Horn United States · #6,934 worldwide 961 citations · 61 works
  6. 6 R. M. Tromp United States · #7,037 worldwide 1.3k citations · 64 works
  7. 7 L. Esaki United States · #9,343 worldwide 1.2k citations · 63 works
  8. 8 Rolf Landauer United States · #12,136 worldwide 1.8k citations · 46 works
  9. 9 Oki Gunawan United States · #13,673 worldwide 1.2k citations · 47 works
  10. 10 Charles H. Bennett United States · #15,924 worldwide 2k citations · 41 works
All ranked researchers at IBM Research - Thomas J. Watson Research Center

Which keywords describe research at IBM Research - Thomas J. Watson Research Center?

By fractional works in 2022–2025, weighted toward what it does more of than the world: Deep Learning, Neural Networks, Machine Learning, Neuromorphic Computing, Security, Distributed Systems, Quantum Information and Parallel Computing.

▲ 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. Deep Learning47▲ 3.5×51 topics
  2. Machine Learning40▲ 3.1×50 topics
  3. Neural Networks35▲ 5.8×25 topics
  4. Security17▲ 6.6×14 topics
  5. Energy Efficiency17▲ 4.5×11 topics
  6. Big Data16▲ 4.5×11 topics
  7. Neuromorphic Computing16▲ 35×2 topics
  8. Distributed Systems15▲ 23×5 topics
  9. Quantum Information14▲ 30×3 topics
  10. Parallel Computing14▲ 30×4 topics
  11. Resource Management13▲ 19×2 topics
  12. Cloud Computing12▲ 11×5 topics
  13. Data Mining12▲ 4.2×8 topics
  14. Entanglement12▲ 21×4 topics
  15. Quantum Simulation12▲ 38×2 topics
  16. Quantum Algorithms12▲ 57×1 topic
  17. Quantum Computation12▲ 57×1 topic
  18. Non-Volatile Memory11▲ 28×2 topics
  19. Virtualization11▲ 34×3 topics
  20. Convex Optimization10▲ 31×5 topics
  21. Synaptic Plasticity10▲ 11×3 topics
  22. Metal Oxides10▲ 20×2 topics
  23. Memristor10▲ 29×1 topic
  24. Resistive Switching10▲ 29×1 topic
  25. Thin Films9▲ 13×8 topics
  26. Data Centers9▲ 40×1 topic
  27. MapReduce9▲ 40×1 topic
  28. Cryptography9▲ 19×2 topics
  29. Quantum9▲ 29×2 topics
  30. Measurement9▲ 27×2 topics
  31. Communication9▲ 7.2×2 topics
  32. Metrology8▲ 37×1 topic
  33. Superconducting Circuits8▲ 32×1 topic
  34. High-Performance Computing8▲ 26×2 topics
  35. Anomaly Detection8▲ 7.1×4 topics
  36. Integrated Circuits8▲ 13×3 topics
  37. Process Variation7▲ 32×2 topics
  38. Semi-Supervised Learning7▲ 17×3 topics
  39. Approximation Algorithms7▲ 27×5 topics
  40. High-Resolution Patterning7▲ 89×2 topics

Which research topics does IBM Research - Thomas J. Watson Research Center publish most on?

By volume in 2022–2025: Quantum Computing Algorithms and Architecture, Advanced Memory and Neural Computing, Cloud Computing and Resource Management and Quantum Information and Cryptography.

Quantum Computing Algori…12Quantum Computing Algorithms and Architecture: 12 fractional worksAdvanced Memory and Neur…10Advanced Memory and Neural Computing: 10 fractional worksCloud Computing and Reso…9Cloud Computing and Resource Management: 9 fractional worksQuantum Information and …8Quantum Information and Cryptography: 8 fractional worksFerroelectric and Negative Capacitance Devices: 6 fractional worksAdvancements in Photolithography Techniques: 6 fractional worksQuantum and electron tra…6Quantum and electron transport phenomena: 6 fractional worksSemiconductor materials …5Semiconductor materials and devices: 5 fractional worksParallel Computing and O…5Parallel Computing and Optimization Techniques: 5 fractional worksMatrix Theory and Algori…5Matrix Theory and Algorithms: 5 fractional works
Artificial IntelligenceElectrical and Electronic EngineeringInformation SystemsAtomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics2 others

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

  1. 1 Quantum Computing Algorithms and Architecture Artificial Intelligence 12 works
  2. 2 Advanced Memory and Neural Computing Electrical and Electronic Engineering 10 works
  3. 3 Cloud Computing and Resource Management Information Systems 9 works
  4. 4 Quantum Information and Cryptography Artificial Intelligence 8 works
  5. 5 Ferroelectric and Negative Capacitance Devices Electrical and Electronic Engineering 6 works
  6. 6 Advancements in Photolithography Techniques Electrical and Electronic Engineering 6 works
  7. 7 Quantum and electron transport phenomena Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics 6 works
  8. 8 Semiconductor materials and devices Electrical and Electronic Engineering 5 works
  9. 9 Parallel Computing and Optimization Techniques Hardware and Architecture 5 works
  10. 10 Matrix Theory and Algorithms Computational Theory and Mathematics 5 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 available10.3%not open89.7%

World: 28% of research is openly available.

with international co-authors10.9%domestic only89.1%

World: 19% is written across borders.

How has IBM Research - Thomas J. Watson Research Center's research output changed?

Output in 2018–2022 was 40% 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.

Other research institutions in Yorktown Heights

All research institutions in Yorktown Heights

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.