Global or regional: the hidden truth behind ShanghaiRanking’s global university ranking by the subject of Law

• Published in: Scientometrics Vol. 130; no. 1; pp. 515 - 530
• Main Author: Li, Hui
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.01.2025; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Anomalies; Computer Science; Information Storage and Retrieval; Library Science; Ranking; Law & legal studies; ShanghaiRanking; Global Ranking of Academic Subjects; University ranking
• ISSN: 0138-9130; 1588-2861
• DOI: 10.1007/s11192-024-05214-w

University rankings released by famous ranking agencies provide valuable information for non-professionals seeking to select universities for study, employment, and research collaboration. Compared to the overall ranking of universities such as the Academic Ranking of World Universities by ShanghaiRanking, the flaws of the subject ranking of universities such as the Global Ranking of Academic Subjects by the same agency have not been sufficiently addressed. In this paper, we present evidence of the over-representation of US universities among the top 50 universities in the field of Law, as published by ShanghaiRanking. Moreover, we identify the anomalies and flaws of the top journal paper indicator used by ShanghaiRanking's Global Ranking of Academic Subjects for the field of Law, which is characterized by some distinctive research and publication practices. Through an in-depth analysis of these anomalies, flaws, and potential impacts, we put forward suggestions for improvement.