Science Explorer Interactive view Map
University · Birmingham · United States

Samford University

In research, Samford University stands highest in Social Sciences (#3,191 of 10,521 worldwide), Social Sciences (#2,189 of 6,365 worldwide) and Health Sciences (#8,646 of 11,982 worldwide), 2022–2025.

samford.eduROR OpenAlex
World rank, 2022–2025
#10,629
of 28,054 · #10,663 all time
Rank in United States
#1,440
of 4,192
Research works
2.1k
▲ 66% vs 2013–17
Citations
25k
12.0 per fractional work
Top-10% rate
10.7%
record average 16.5%
Open access
36%
world 28%

What is Samford 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
Social SciencesDomain #3,191 of 10,521 12.5%209 #2207
Social SciencesField #2,189 of 6,365 12.4%105 #1509
Health SciencesDomain #8,646 of 11,982 6.3%111 #6480
MedicineField #9,124 of 10,443 6.6%87 #8330

Each strip is that field’s whole ranked pool, with the notch where Samford 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. Social Sciences#2,207 #3,191
  2. Social Sciences#1,509 #2,189
  3. Health Sciences#6,480 #8,646
  4. Medicine#8,330 #9,124
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.

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: 0.40× its world share, 7 worksAgricultural and Bio…Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology: 0.44× its world share, 9 worksBiochemistry, Geneti…Immunology and Microbiology: 0.51× its world share, 2 worksImmunology and Micro…Neuroscience: 1.19× its world share, 8 worksNeurosciencePharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics: 1.89× its world share, 3 worksPharmacology, Toxico…Chemistry: 1.16× its world share, 7 worksChemistryComputer Science: 0.39× its world share, 12 worksComputer ScienceEarth and Planetary Sciences: 0.05× its world share, 0 worksEarth and Planetary …Energy: 0.05× its world share, 0 worksEnergyEngineering: 0.06× its world share, 3 worksEngineeringEnvironmental Science: 0.31× its world share, 6 worksEnvironmental ScienceMaterials Science: 0.10× its world share, 1 worksMaterials ScienceMathematics: 1.17× its world share, 5 worksMathematicsPhysics and Astronomy: 0.13× its world share, 1 worksPhysics and AstronomyDentistry: 0.18× its world share, 0 worksDentistryHealth Professions: 1.93× its world share, 20 worksHealth ProfessionsMedicine: 1.18× its world share, 88 worksMedicineNursing: 1.49× its world share, 3 worksNursingVeterinary: 1.22× its world share, 1 worksVeterinaryArts and Humanities: 3.63× its world share, 40 worksArts and HumanitiesBusiness, Management and Accounting: 1.34× its world share, 17 worksBusiness, Management…Decision Sciences: 1.08× its world share, 4 worksDecision SciencesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance: 2.56× its world share, 21 worksEconomics, Econometr…Psychology: 1.90× its world share, 22 worksPsychologySocial Sciences: 2.16× its world share, 105 worksSocial Sciences1×world share
more than its size predictsabout as predictedless

Rings at 0.5×, 1× and 2×. Widest outward: Arts and Humanities, 3.6×. Every wedge is a field page.

Who are the top researchers at Samford University?

Ranked on the composite score, Peter J. Hughes, David W. Chapman and Gerald Bray lead among researchers whose main affiliation is Samford University.

  1. 1 Peter J. Hughes United States · #38,770 worldwide 319 citations · 37 works
  2. 2 David W. Chapman United States · #70,354 worldwide 168 citations · 40 works
  3. 3 Gerald Bray United States · #307,451 worldwide 6 citations · 30 works
  4. 4 Lori Coward United States · #327,826 worldwide 144 citations · 15 works
  5. 5 David M. Smolin United States · #428,839 worldwide 38 citations · 18 works
  6. 6 Ginger S. Frost United States · #650,752 worldwide 11 citations · 26 works
  7. 7 Joshua M. Hall United States · #684,303 worldwide 5 citations · 22 works
  8. 8 Brannon P. Denning United States · #793,079 worldwide 11 citations · 44 works
  9. 9 Mickey Smith United States · #804,431 worldwide 3 citations · 18 works
  10. 10 William G. Ross United States · #985,858 worldwide 9 citations · 16 works
All ranked researchers at Samford University

Which keywords describe research at Samford University?

By fractional works in 2022–2025, weighted toward what it does more of than the world: Religion, Nationalism, Public Opinion, Political Philosophy, American founding, Constitutional government, Gender and Globalization.

▲ 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. Globalization18▲ 2.3×27 topics
  2. Epidemiology15◆ 1.00×45 topics
  3. Religion14▲ 7.7×14 topics
  4. Nationalism14▲ 7.7×6 topics
  5. Mental Health12▲ 2.1×23 topics
  6. Gender12▲ 5.5×14 topics
  7. Quality of Life11▲ 2.0×19 topics
  8. Public Opinion11▲ 22×3 topics
  9. Social Media11▲ 1.92×16 topics
  10. Political Philosophy10▲ 47×2 topics
  11. Social Justice10▲ 4.5×14 topics
  12. American founding10▲ 84×1 topic
  13. Constitutional government10▲ 84×1 topic
  14. Medical Education9▲ 9.4×7 topics
  15. Assessment Methods9▲ 22×3 topics
  16. Reflective Practice9▲ 12×5 topics
  17. Faculty Development8▲ 29×2 topics
  18. Human Rights8▲ 2.1×11 topics
  19. Corporate Governance8▲ 2.7×13 topics
  20. Theology8▲ 21×3 topics
  21. Competency-Based Education8▲ 21×2 topics
  22. Continuing Medical Education7▲ 30×1 topic
  23. Ethics7▲ 3.8×12 topics
  24. Professional Identity Formation7▲ 30×1 topic
  25. Student Engagement7▲ 4.6×9 topics
  26. Neoliberalism7▲ 5.0×7 topics
  27. Health6▲ 4.0×8 topics
  28. Church History6▲ 35×3 topics
  29. Psychological Impact6▲ 4.5×6 topics
  30. Community Development5▲ 7.4×4 topics
  31. High-Intensity Interval Training5▲ 13×2 topics
  32. Elderly5▲ 5.4×3 topics
  33. Evidence-Based Practice5▲ 9.9×4 topics
  34. Patient Safety5▲ 8.5×4 topics
  35. Resistance Training5▲ 14×2 topics
  36. Biblical Monotheism4▲ 44×1 topic
  37. Jewish Society4▲ 44×1 topic
  38. Nursing Education4▲ 8.4×3 topics
  39. Inappropriate Medication Use4▲ 26×1 topic
  40. Polypharmacy4▲ 26×1 topic

Which research topics does Samford University publish most on?

By volume in 2022–2025: American Constitutional Law and Politics, Innovations in Medical Education, Biblical Studies and Interpretation and Pharmaceutical Practices and Patient Outcomes.

American Constitutional …10American Constitutional Law and Politics: 10 fractional worksInnovations in Medical Education: 7 fractional worksBiblical Studies and Interpretation: 4 fractional worksPharmaceutical Practices and Patient Outcomes: 4 fractional worksSimulation-Based Education in Healthcare: 4 fractional worksSports Performance and Training: 3 fractional worksEconomic Theory and Inst…3Economic Theory and Institutions: 3 fractional worksReligion, Society, and Development: 3 fractional worksExercise and Physiological Responses: 3 fractional worksHealth Sciences Research and Education: 3 fractional works
Political Science and International RelationsPublic Health, Environmental and Occupational HealthReligious studiesGeriatrics and Gerontology6 others

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

  1. 1 American Constitutional Law and Politics Political Science and International Relations 10 works
  2. 2 Innovations in Medical Education Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health 7 works
  3. 3 Biblical Studies and Interpretation Religious studies 4 works
  4. 4 Pharmaceutical Practices and Patient Outcomes Geriatrics and Gerontology 4 works
  5. 5 Simulation-Based Education in Healthcare Physiology 4 works
  6. 6 Sports Performance and Training Orthopedics and Sports Medicine 3 works
  7. 7 Economic Theory and Institutions Economics and Econometrics 3 works
  8. 8 Religion, Society, and Development Sociology and Political Science 3 works
  9. 9 Exercise and Physiological Responses Rehabilitation 3 works
  10. 10 Health Sciences Research and Education General Health Professions 3 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 available36.1%not open63.9%

World: 28% of research is openly available.

with international co-authors4.1%domestic only95.9%

World: 19% is written across borders.

How has Samford University's research output changed?

Output in 2018–2022 was 66% 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 Birmingham

All research institutions in Birmingham

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.