Science Magazine has just released an update of it’s list of Twitter’s most popular researchers – now expanded to “100 of the most followed scientists on the social media platform”.  Having played around with the data, here’s an alternative listing, based on the Engagement Index (E-Index) – a measure I admittedly just made up! (jump straight to the list)

The original list got quite a bit of flack for its lack of diversity, and who it missed off.  The update corrects this a little, but the ranking it is still based on number of followers – a valid index of popularity, but probably not a lot else.

The good news is that the folks at Science have once again kindly made their raw data available, allowing alternative rankings to be played around with.

Looking down the list, I was particularly interested in active and influential researchers who are also active on Twitter – fully engaged researchers if you like.  A really quick and dirty way to get a handle on this is to rank by the product of H-index and number of tweets.

H-index is a useful measure of publication rate and citation rate.  Like all measures of performance it has its problems.  I like it as a measure of academic engagement though as it compresses the range of achievement across the spectrum – early investigators can rack up an H-index in single digits quite fast, while you have to be a stellar performer to get much above 40 or so.

Moving over to social media, an H-index equivalent in Twitter would have been useful, but has yet to be invented.  In its absence, number of tweets is a really crude proxy for social activity – if not quite engagement.

By multiplying H-index and total number of tweets and dividing by 1000, you can derive a really crude engagement index (E-index if you like).  It’s deeply flawed.  But it does give an indication of who is both a productive  academic and active on Twitter.

Part of the reasoning behind the E-index was that the numbers were all there and ready to be processed in the Science Magazine data.  Unfortunately though, the H-index was only available for the initial 50 scientists.  By the time I discovered this, I was committed though, and so spent some time gathering H-index values for the remaining scientists using Scopus – until I discovered that the Scopus values didn’t match the original Science Magazine values.

To cut a long and tedious story short, the E-index for all of Science Magazine’s 100 most popular researchers on Twitter (and a couple more to boot) has been calculated using the Science values for total tweets, and Scopus data for H-index values.  These are based on articles published after 1995, and so reflect academic activity over the past couple of decades.

The E-index ranked list is below, for all Science Magazine researchers with an E-index greater than zero.  I haven’t numbered them (although they are in descending order) as I don’t think placement position in the list is that relevant.  And I suspect there may be the odd data error here.

The list is what it is – a useful way of getting a handle on academically and social media-active researchers.  It isn’t comprehensive.  It probably isn’t that accurate.  And it certainly doesn’t say much about some of the most interesting scientists on Twitter.  I found it an interesting exercise though – specially as it completely mixes up the order of the list compared to that based on twitter followers alone.

And me?  I decided to leave myself out of this list.  If you want to know where I would be, you can get the numbers easily enough and do the math.  Not that it’s that important.

Active researchers on twitter, ranked by E-index.


rp_ryu_by_shio_400x400.jpgRyugo Hayano, Nuclear physicist
124,000 followers @hayano
H-index: 64 E-index: 3616
Total number of tweets: 56,500
University of Tokyo, Japan


J.EisenJonathan Eisen*, Biologist
25,600 followers @phylogenomics
H-index: 65 E-index: 3070
Total number of tweets: 47,237
University of California, Davis, United States


M.EisenMichael Eisen, Biologist
12,300 followers @mbeisen
H-index: 56 E-index: 918
Total number of tweets: 16,400
University of California, Berkeley, United States


MannMichael E. Mann*, Meteorologist
21,700 followers @MichaelEMann
H-index: 43 E-index: 882
Total number of tweets: 20,500
Pennsylvania State University, United States


BlanchflowerDavid “Danny” Blanchflower, Economist
24,600 followers @D_Blanchflower
H-index: 19 E-index: 800
Total number of tweets: 42,094
Dartmouth College, United States


FloridaRichard Florida, Economist
177,000 followers @Richard_Florida
H-index: 17 E-index: 779
Total number of tweets: 45,800
University of Toronto, Canada


BishopDorothy Bishop, Neuropsychologist
15,400 followers @deevybee
H-index: 50 E-index: 740
Total number of tweets: 14,800
University of Oxford, United Kingdom


NoakesTim Noakes, Sports scientist
48,200 followers @ProfTimNoakes
H-index: 56 E-index: 734
Total number of tweets: 13,100
University of Cape Town, South Africa


TopolEric Topol*, Geneticist
46,100 followers @EricTopol
H-index: 130 E-index: 655
Total number of tweets: 5,035
The Scripps Research Institute, United States


JamesKaren James, Biologist
12,900 followers @kejames
H-index: 10 E-index: 626
Total number of tweets: 62,600
Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, United States


GreenbergMelanie Greenberg, Clinical psychologist
37,600 followers @DrMelanieG
H-index: 7 E-index: 576
Total number of tweets: 82,300
Private practice, United States


BrownMike Brown, Astronomer
18,700 followers @plutokiller
H-index: 50 E-index: 494
Total number of tweets: 9,888
California Institute of Technology, United States


GreenhalghTrisha Greenhalgh*, Public health scientist
12,200 followers @trishgreenhalgh
H-index: 41 E-index: 480
Total number of tweets: 11,700
Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom


MacArthurDaniel MacArthur, Genomicist
14,500 followers @dgmacarthur
H-index: 23 E-index: 363
Total number of tweets: 15,800
Harvard Medical School, United States


PorcoCarolyn Porco, Planetary scientist
26,700 followers @carolynporco
H-index: 27 E-index: 348
Total number of tweets: 12,900
Space Science Institute, United States


GoldacreBen Goldacre, Physician
345,000 followers @bengoldacre
H-index: 7 E-index: 332
Total number of tweets: 47,400
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom


WolfersJustin Wolfers, Economist
62,600 followers @JustinWolfers
H-index: 18 E-index: 299
Total number of tweets: 16,600
University of Michigan, United States


EasterlyWilliam Easterly*, Economist
63,200 followers @bill_easterly
H-index: 30 E-index: 295
Total number of tweets: 9,817
New York University, United States


RodrikDani Rodrik, Economist
45,500 followers @rodrikdani
H-index: 28 E-index: 294
Total number of tweets: 10,500
Institute for Advanced Study, United States


MackKatie Mack, Astrophysicist
14,600 followers @AstroKatie
H-index: 6 E-index: 266
Total number of tweets: 44,300
University of Melbourne, Australia


WisemanRichard Wiseman, Psychologist
135,000 followers @RichardWiseman
H-index: 11 E-index: 249
Total number of tweets: 22,600
University of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom


SachsJeffrey D. Sachs, Economist
164,000 followers @JeffDSachs
H-index: 41 E-index: 240
Total number of tweets: 5,865
Columbia University, United States


BlakemoreSarah-Jayne Blakemore, Cognitive Neuroscientist
15,200 followers @sjblakemore
H-index: 142 E-index: 238
Total number of tweets: 5,661
University College London, United Kingdom


CoyneJerry Coyne, Biologist
20,100 followers @Evolutionistrue
H-index: 30 E-index: 221
Total number of tweets: 7,380
University of Chicago, United States


Catherine QualtroughCatherine Qualtrough, Astrophysicist
13,700 followers @CatherineQ
H-index: 2 E-index: 214
Total number of tweets: 107,000
University of North Carolina, Charlotte, United States


MyersP. Z. Myers, Biologist
156,000 followers @pzmyers
H-index: 8 E-index: 206
Total number of tweets: 25,700
University of Minnesota, Morris, United States


FrithUta Frith, Cognitive scientist
13,000 followers @utafrith
H-index: 54 E-index: 197
Total number of tweets: 3,645
University College London, United Kingdom


LeeDanielle N Lee, Ecologist
11,800 followers @DNLee5
H-index: 3 E-index: 196
Total number of tweet
Cornell University, United States


PlaitPhil Plait, Astronomer
325,000 followers @BadAstronomer
H-index:4 E-index: 189
Total number of tweets: 47,300
Bad Astronomy, United States


CarrollSean Carroll, Theoretical physicist
33,800 followers @seanmcarroll
H-index: 24 E-index: 176
Total number of tweets: 7,352
California Institute of Technology, United States


Al-KhaliliJim Al-Khalili, Theoretical physicist
60,900 followers @jimalkhalili
H-index: 19 E-index: 174
Total number of tweets: 9,165
University of Surrey, United Kingdom


MasuiToshiyuki Masui, Computer scientist
122,000 followers @masui
H-index: 5 E-index: 150
Total number of tweets: 29,900
Keio University, Japan


RoubiniNouriel Roubini, Economist
313,000 followers @nouriel
H-index: 14 E-index: 143
Total number of tweets: 10,200
New York University, United States


MetcalfeRobert Metcalfe, Computer scientist
16,600 followers @BobMetcalfe
H-index: 8 E-index: 130
Total number of tweets: 16,300
University of Texas, Austin, United States


Ves DimovVes Dimov, Immunologist
14,300 followers @DrVes
H-index: 4 E-index: 129
Total number of tweets: 32,300
University of Chicago, United States


ThomaMark Thoma, Economist
20,800 followers @MarkThoma
H-index: 3 E-index: 126
Total number of tweets: 42,100
University of Oregon, United States


BellVaughan Bell, Neuroscientist
24,200 followers @vaughanbell
H-index: 11 E-index: 121
Total number of tweets: 10,997
King’s College London, United Kingdom


LiebermanMatt Lieberman, Neuroscientist
15,000 followers @social_brains
H-index: 38 E-index: 119
Total number of tweets: 3,128
University of California, Los Angeles, United States


SimpsonRobert Simpson, Astronomer
22,300 followers @orbitingfrog
H-index: 10 E-index: 116
Total number of tweets: 11,600
University of Oxford, United Kingdom


KrugmanPaul Krugman+, Economist
1,250,000 followers @NYTimesKrugman
H-index: 20 E-index: 115
Total number of tweets: 5,754
Princeton University, United States


CowanTyler Cowen, Economist
45,600 followers @tylercowen
H-index: 10 E-index: 112
Total number of tweets: 11,200
George Mason University, United States


KingGary King*, Political scientist
19,800 followers @kinggary
H-index: 35 E-index: 109
Total number of tweets: 3,104
Harvard University, United States


KruegerBrian Krueger, Genomicist
12,800 followers @LabSpaces
H-index: 3 E-index: 107
Total number of tweets: 35,800
Duke University, United States


AralSinan Aral, Information sciences
19,100 followers @sinanaral
H-index: 18 E-index: 103
Total number of tweets: 5,696
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States


Micah_AllenMicah Allen^, Neuroscientist
11,800 followers @neuroconscience
H-index: 13 E-index: 13
Total number of tweets: 4,294
University College London, United Kingdom


GrinspoonDavid Grinspoon, Astrobiologist
15,600 followers @DrFunkySpoon
H-index: 9 E-index: 88
Total number of tweets: 9,736
Library of Congress, United States


NestleMarion Nestle, Nutritionist
118,000 followers @marionnestle
H-index: 22 E-index: 87
Total number of tweets: 3,944
New York University, United States


GawandeAtul Gawande, Surgeon/public health scientist
98,100 followers @Atul_Gawande
H-index: 36 E-index: 77
Total number of tweets: 2,139
Harvard University, United States


Danah Boyd, Social media scientist
103,000 followers @zephoria
H-index: 16 E-index: 76
Total number of tweets: 4,755
Microsoft Research, United States


RandallLisa Randall, Theoretical Physicist
12,000 followers @lirarandall
H-index: 31 E-index: 60
Total number of tweets: 2,215
Harvard University, United States


VonkFreek Vonk, Biologist
68,400 followers @freekvonk
H-index: 10 E-index: 65
Total number of tweets: 6,523
Naturalis Biodiversity Center, the Netherlands


BloomPaul Bloom, Psychologist
15,700 followers @paulbloomatyale
H-index: 32 E-index: 64
Total number of tweets: 2,009
Yale University, United States


LevitinDaniel Levitin, Neuroscientist
15,800 followers @danlevitin
H-index: 20 E-index: 61
Total number of tweets: 3,040
McGill University, Canada


GellerRobert Geller, Seismologist
12,100 followers @Rjgeller
H-index: 16 E-index: 60
Total number of tweets: 3,772
University of Tokyo, Japan


CuddyAmy Cuddy, Social psychologist
21,300 followers @amyjccuddy
H-index: 15 E-index: 60
Total number of tweets: 4,017
Harvard University, United States


DawkinsRichard Dawkins, Biologist
1,030,000 followers @RichardDawkins
H-index: 3 E-index: 58
Total number of tweets: 19,300
University of Oxford, United Kingdom


CollinsFrancis Collins*, Physician-geneticist
34,200 followers @NIHDirector
H-index: 108 E-index: 57
Total number of tweets: 531
National Institutes of Health, United States


Lucie_GreenLucie Green, Astrophysicist
11,800 followers @Dr_Lucie
H-index: 13 E-index: 13
Total number of tweets: 4,294
University College London, United Kingdom


PaulosJohn Allen Paulos, Mathematician
14,400 followers @JohnAllenPaulos
H-index: 12 E-index: 50
Total number of tweets: 4,167
Temple University, United States


ArielyDan Ariely*, Psychologist/behavioral economist
74,300 followers @danariely
H-index: 42 E-index: 46
Total number of tweets: 1,098
Duke University, United States


GoolsbeeAustan Goolsbee, Economist
47,700 followers @Austan_Goolsbee
H-index: 16 E-index: 42
Total number of tweets: 2,624
University of Chicago, United States


KraussLawrence M. Krauss, Theoretical physicist
104,000 followers @LKrauss1
H-index: 24 E-index: 39
Total number of tweets: 1,632
Arizona State University, United States


MainzerAmy Mainzer, Astronomer
14,700 followers @AmyMainzer
H-index: 17 E-index: 39
Total number of tweets: 2,295
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, United States


Dean BakerDean Baker, Economist
21,300 followers @DeanBaker13
H-index: 5 E-index: 36
Total number of tweets: 7,285
Center for Economic and Policy Research, United States


GilbertDaniel Gilbert+, Psychologist
16,200 followers @DanTGilbert
H-index: 27 E-index: 35
Total number of tweets: 1,301
Harvard University, United States


GrantAdam Grant, Organizational psychologist
26,500 followers @AdamMGrant
H-index: 24 E-index: 35
Total number of tweets: 1,452
The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, United States


BasuKaushik Basu, Economist
45,800 followers @kaushikcbasu
H-index: 15 E-index: 31
Total number of tweets: 2,089
World Bank


EaglemanDavid Eagleman, Neuroscientist
20,100 followers @davideagleman
H-index: 20 E-index: 30
Total number of tweets: 1,482
Baylor College of Medicine, United States


GayPamela L. Gay, Astronomer
18,400 followers @starstryder
H-index: 2 E-index: 26
Total number of tweets: 12,900
Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, United States


VenterJ. Craig Venter, Genomicist
24,200 followers @JCVenter
H-index: 69 E-index: 26
Total number of tweets: 373
J. Craig Venter Institute, United States


PinkerSteven Pinker, Cognitive scientist
145,000 followers @sapinker
H-index: 15 E-index: 25
Total number of tweets: 1,674
Harvard University, United States


du SautoyMarcus du Sautoy, Mathematician
34,800 followers @MarcusduSautoy
H-index: 7 E-index: 25
Total number of tweets: 3,572
University of Oxford, United Kingdom


RobertsAlice Roberts, Clinical anatomist
68,900 followers @DrAliceRoberts
H-index: 3 E-index: 25
Total number of tweets: 8,333
University of Birmingham, United Kingdom


RoslingHans Rosling, Global health scientist
185,000 followers @HansRosling
H-index: 8 E-index: 22
Total number of tweets: 2,733
Karolinska Institute, Sweden


GariepyJean Francois Gari̩py, Neuroscientist
18,100 followers @JFGariepy
H-index: 6 E-index: 19
Total number of tweets: 3,247
Duke University, United States


TysonNeil deGrasse Tyson, Astrophysicist
2,460,000 followers @neiltyson
H-index: 4 E-index: 16
Total number of tweets: 4,001
Hayden Planetarium, United States


WinstonRobert Winston, Fertility scientist
32,200 followers @ProfRWinston
H-index: 34 E-index: 15
Total number of tweets: 446
Imperial College London, United Kingdom


HarrisSam Harris, Neuroscientist
231,000 followers @SamHarrisOrg
H-index: 5 E-index: 14
Total number of tweets: 2,725
Project Reason, United States


CzerskiHelen Czerski, Physicist/oceanographer
12,300 followers @helenczerski
H-index: 5 E-index: 11
Total number of tweets: 2,211
University College London, United Kingdom


ThrunSebastian Thrun+, Computer scientist
25,800 followers @SebastianThrun
H-index: 57 E-index: 11
Total number of tweets: 187
Stanford University, United States


CoxBrian Cox, Physicist
1,450,000 followers @ProfBrianCox
H-index: 1 E-index: 10
Total number of tweets: 10,400
University of Manchester, United Kingdom


Baron-CohenSimon Baron-Cohen, Psychopathologist
14,100 followers @sbaroncohen
H-index: 78 E-index: 9
Total number of tweets: 9
University of Cambridge, United Kingdom


Berners-LeeTim Berners-Lee, Computer scientist
183,000 followers @timberners_lee
H-index: 16 E-index: 9
Total number of tweets: 556
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States


SacksOliver Sacks, Neurologist
77,800 followers @OliverSacks
H-index: 9 E-index: 7
Total number of tweets: 754
New York University, United States


GerstAlexander Gerst, Astronaut
154,000 followers @Astro_Alex
H-index: 3 E-index: 7
Total number of tweets: 2,250
European Space Agency


EarleSylvia Earle, Marine biologist/oceanographer
35,100 followers @SylviaEarle
H-index: 4 E-index: 7
Total number of tweets: 1,625
National Geographic, United States


StiglitzJoseph E. Stiglitz+, Economist
35,200 followers @JosephEStiglitz
H-index: 26 E-index: 4
Total number of tweets: 166
Columbia University, United States


GreeneBrian Greene, Theoretical physicist
39,900 followers @bgreene
H-index: 19 E-index: 4
Total number of tweets: 197
Columbia University, United States


WallischPascal Wallisch, Neuroscientist
15,400 followers @Pascallisch
H-index: 3 E-index: 3
Total number of tweets: 1,118
New York University, United States


TalebNassim Taleb, Statistician
79,100 followers @nntaleb
H-index: 7 E-index: 3
Total number of tweets: 427
New York University, United States


NybergKaren Nyberg, Astronaut
103,000 followers @AstroKarenN
H-index:3 E-index: 3
Total number of tweets: 856
NASA, United States


ShostakSeth Shostak, Astronomer
14,800 followers @SethShostak
H-index: 5 E-index: 1
Total number of tweets: 299
SETI Institute, United States


KakuMichio Kaku, Theoretical physicist
315,000 followers @michiokaku
H-index: 1 E-index: 1
Total number of tweets: 1,139
The City College of New York, United States