Self-cited researchers in France: Top 2% scientists 2026
Live Directory analytics: the France mean self_citation_pct is about 11.28% (rank 83 of 170). The France-scoped author ranking opens with Nachaoui, Abdeljalil (84.56%, 272 citations).
Which France Top 2% scientists have the highest self-citation share?
Direct answer: ABS Nexora ranks researchers by the native field self_citation_pct (Stanford–Ioannidis self%). Scoped to country=fra for the 2026 single-year listing, the author ranking opens with Nachaoui, Abdeljalil (Laboratoire de Mathématiques Jean Leray; 84.56%; 272 total citations; global rank 126,441). That is a share of that author’s citations, not a claim that any named scholar engaged in misconduct.
The France country mean on rankings metric avg_self_citation_pct is about 11.28% across 5,911 listed scholars — rank 83 of 170 countries. That mean sits between Germany (11.77%; n=10,933) and China (9.80%; n=35,681), below Italy (13.54%; n=8,537), and above Canada (9.12%; n=8,510).
Small-n caveat: a high individual percentage is not a country-level verdict. France’s mean is mid-pack (rank 83). The names at the top of this ranking are not the same names as the France top researchers rank_all panel. Read the author table and the country rank together.
What the Directory is actually ranking
| Element | Native API field | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Per researcher | self_citation_pct | Stanford–Ioannidis self% for that author |
| Per country | avg_self_citation_pct | Mean of those percentages |
| France authors | /api/analytics/self-citation/authors?scope=country&entity=fra | Paginated France ranking |
| Country sort | /api/analytics/rankings?metric=avg_self_citation_pct | 170 countries in this snapshot |
This is not “most self-citations in absolute counts.” A researcher with 272 citations and an 85% self-share can outrank a researcher with 60,000 citations and a low self-share.
Top of the France self-citation author ranking
| Researcher | Institution | Field | self_citation_pct | Citations (all) | Global rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nachaoui, Abdeljalil | Laboratoire de Mathématiques Jean Leray | Mathematics & Statistics | 84.56% | 272 | 126,441 |
| Bouzebda, Salim M. | LMAC – Laboratoire de Mathématiques Appliquées de Compiègne | Mathematics & Statistics | 77.17% | 311 | 84,538 |
| Prieto, Éric | Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille | Enabling & Strategic Technologies | 66.79% | 268 | 523,544 |
| Garcia, J. | CEA Cadarache | Physics & Astronomy | 66.74% | 1,434 | 66,062 |
| Alves Batista, Rafael | Sorbonne Université | Physics & Astronomy | 61.37% | 1,113 | 229,222 |
| Meunier, Joël M. | Université de Tours | Biology | 59.69% | 320 | 98,269 |
| Biteau, Jonathan | Université Paris-Saclay | Physics & Astronomy | 57.13% | 1,775 | 158,333 |
| Bourdelle, Clarisse | CEA Cadarache | Physics & Astronomy | 56.76% | 1,265 | 97,982 |
| Gouesbet, Gèrard | CORIA - Complexe de recherche Interprofessionnel en Aérothermochimie | Physics & Astronomy | 56.13% | 905 | 12,213 |
| Chauvin, Gaël | Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur | Physics & Astronomy | 54.69% | 1,684 | 99,929 |
Small-n caveat: several names near the top have under 400 total citations (Nachaoui 272, Prieto 268, Bouzebda 311, Meunier 320). Percentages swing hard on small denominators. Always read citations (all) and global rank next to self_citation_pct.
Higher-citation France names still high on self-citation %
Filtering the same France pull toward researchers with larger citation totals:
| Researcher | Field | self_citation_pct | Citations (all) | Global rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garcia, J. | Physics & Astronomy | 66.74% | 1,434 | 66,062 |
| Alves Batista, Rafael | Physics & Astronomy | 61.37% | 1,113 | 229,222 |
| Biteau, Jonathan | Physics & Astronomy | 57.13% | 1,775 | 158,333 |
| Bourdelle, Clarisse | Physics & Astronomy | 56.76% | 1,265 | 97,982 |
| Chauvin, Gaël | Physics & Astronomy | 54.69% | 1,684 | 99,929 |
| Acharya, Shreyasi | Physics & Astronomy | 54.46% | 2,587 | 61,310 |
| Kilbinger, Martin | Physics & Astronomy | 52.52% | 1,468 | 51,459 |
| Lehnen, Michael | Physics & Astronomy | 52.40% | 1,290 | 174,913 |
Garcia, J. (Physics, CEA Cadarache) is a useful higher-citation example: 66.74% self-citation share, 1,434 citations, global rank 66,062. Acharya, Shreyasi has 2,587 citations at 54.46%.
France’s mean is mid-pack — the tail is where percentages spike
Stat sentence: Among 170 countries ranked by avg_self_citation_pct, France is #83 at about 11.28%, with a 5,911-scholar cohort. That mean sits between Germany and China, below Italy, and above Canada in this snapshot. High individual percentages exist in the tail; they do not by themselves prove misconduct, and they do not rewrite the France top researchers ranks.
How to use this metric responsibly
- Prefer the profile over a screenshot of one percentage.
- Compare all-citations vs excluding-self (
ns) ranks on the same scholar page. - Do not treat a high
self_citation_pctas proof of misconduct; field norms and collaboration patterns differ. Physics rows dominate this France higher-citation tail. - For named universities and field mix, use France top universities and France field strengths.
- When you cite a paper, the Journal Quality Report is the journal-side companion.
France cluster and related Directory pages
- France Top 2% universities 2026
- France top researchers 2026
- France self-cited scientists 2026 (this page)
- France field strengths 2026
- Find, verify, and cite a France Top 2% scientist
- France Top 2% directory 2026 (hub)
- Italy Top 2% universities 2026
- Italy Top 2% directory 2026
- Canada Top 2% universities 2026
- Canada Top 2% directory 2026
- United Kingdom Top 2% universities 2026
- United Kingdom Top 2% directory 2026
- Germany Top 2% universities 2026
- Germany Top 2% directory 2026
- Australia Top 2% directory 2026
- India Top 2% directory 2026
- United States Top 2% directory 2026
- Journal Quality Report on ABS Nexora
- Directory home
- Directory search
- France country analytics
- Analytics workspace
FAQ
Who is the most self-cited France Top 2% scientist in this snapshot? On self_citation_pct, Nachaoui, Abdeljalil leads the France-scoped author ranking at 84.56% (272 citations; rank 126,441).
Is France a high self-citation country? The France mean is about 11.28%, rank 83 of 170 — between Germany and China, below Italy, and above Canada in this file. A high individual tail does not make the country mean extreme.
Why do some France names show 52–85% self-citation? The ranking is a percentage. Small citation totals produce large percentages. Physics is over-represented in the higher-citation tail. Read the citation column.
What API field should I quote? Quote self_citation_pct for a person and avg_self_citation_pct for France. Do not relabel them as “self-citation count.”
Does a high percentage mean the scholar is not influential? Not by itself. Check rank_all, rank_ns, field, and the full profile — e.g. Garcia, J. (1,434 citations) or Acharya, Shreyasi (2,587 citations).
Where can I reproduce the France list? /api/analytics/self-citation/authors?scope=country&entity=fra&listing=single_year and the France country page analytics views.
How do I cite a France Top 2% scientist after checking self-citation? Follow how to find, verify, and cite: name, listing (single-year vs career), year, rank, and the live scholar URL.