Relationship between Webometrics University Rankings and Research Gate Scores, Scopus and Web of Science

Interest in academic ranking systems increased substantially in the last two decades. The majority of existing ranking systems are highly exclusive and cover up to 1500 best-positioned world universities. An exception to these ranking systems is the Webometrics ranking, which ranks more than 31000 universities throughout the world. In this study, we wanted to examine what factors best predict the Webometrics rankings. The sample for this study consisted of 102 European universities, with the Webometrics ranks ranging from 18th position to 6969th position. We examined the effects of the number of Web of Science publications, Scopus publications, and ResearchGate-related data on Webometrics ranking. Data retrieved from the academic social network site ResearchGate predicted 72% of the variance in the Webometrics ranking. The number of Scopus publications was the single best determinant of whether the university will be positioned in the top 1000 ranked universities. These results indicate the potential use of ResearchGate scores in the rankings of universities and serve as a proxy for universities’ excellence. This, in turn, can be useful to government policymakers and university leaders in creating better strategies for enhancing the reputation of universities.