A new citation analysis from the Swedish Research Council shows Malmö University has one of the country's highest impacts in the humanities: measured in terms of the proportion of researchers' publications that are cited internationally. Historical research stands out in particular.

According to the analysis, Swedish humanities are very strong internationally. In the review of individual universities, Malmö University ranks second in Sweden, after Linköping University:

'This is particularly impressive given that the university has a large publication volume in history, a subject that generally has a lower citation rate. Malmö’s results indicate that they have succeeded in achieving a significant impact in their specific historical research that clearly stands out,' the analysis states.

“The result is of great significance for historians at the university and for the Department of Society, Culture and Identity, where the research environment History and History Didactics is based,” says Malin Thor Tureby, professor of history and a member of the steering group for the Humanities Collegium at Malmö University.

“The fact that we are achieving such a high impact in a subject that traditionally has a lower citation rate shows that our research is not only published extensively but also has clear scientific relevance and influence. For researchers, this is an important recognition. It shows that our work is being noticed, used, and plays a role in the continued development of knowledge – both in Sweden and internationally," she adds.

The citation analysis has been produced as an appendix to the Research Barometer 2025 and is based on the proportion of publications with more than five citations. The data is based on publications included in the Web of Science database, which accounts for approximately one third of Swedish publications in the humanities.

“The position of the humanities is sometimes questioned, so it was important for the Swedish Research Council to analyse their scientific impact. I am pleased but not surprised that Malmö University has done well. We have high-quality humanities embedded in interdisciplinary environments,” says Malin Ideland, Vice-Chancellor for Research and Doctoral Education at Malmö University.

Read more about the Swedish Research Council's citation analysis

Text: Communications Department