Exclusive: the most-cited papers of the twenty-first century

The analysis by Nature reveals that the most cited papers of the 21st century relate primarily to artificial intelligence, systematic research methods, and statistical data rather than groundbreaking scientific breakthroughs like mRNA vaccines or the Higgs boson. Notably, a 2004 paper on graphene is among the top-cited but is an exception. Citations serve as a measure of influence, suggesting a greater reliance on methodological papers in academia, as emphasized by sociologist Misha Teplitskiy, who points out that scientists cite methods more often than empirical discoveries despite claiming to value the latter more.

The top-cited papers published this century focus primarily on AI, systematic reviews, cancer statistics, and research software, rather than groundbreaking scientific discoveries.

While significant scientific breakthroughs like mRNA vaccines and gravitational waves exist, they do not dominate the high citation lists, revealing a focus on methodologies.

Citations reflect a paper's influence, yet the most-cited don’t represent fame or discovery magnitude, showing a bias towards methods and software in scientific literature.

Misha Teplitskiy highlights that although scientists claim to value empirical findings, the actual practice shows a preference for citing methodological works.

Read at Nature