Tampere University researchers among the world’s most-cited scientists – ITC Faculty’s research strengths broadly represented
ITC researchers are represented across a range of disciplines. The faculty’s key research areas include gamification, telecommunications and communication networks, signal processing, and information studies. Research in these fields explores topics ranging from the application of game-based approaches to future communication technologies, digital signal analysis, and information-seeking behaviour.
The results offer one perspective on the international visibility of Tampere University researchers and the extent to which their publications are cited by the global research community.
Juho Hamari ranks first in Finland
Professor of Gamification Juho Hamari ranked first in Finland in the all-fields comparison of one-year citation impact. At Tampere University, Hamari leads the Gamification Group, which studies gamification, game-based learning, motivational systems, and emerging digital environments.
Hamari’s research examines how game design principles and gamified solutions can be applied to areas such as learning, digital services, and supporting human activity. His work combines perspectives from computer science, psychology, education, and human–technology interaction.
Gamification is one of ITC’s internationally connected research areas. Its scope extends from individual digital services to broader applications in education, working life, and society.
Ertuğrul Başar researches the future of telecommunications
Professor of Telecommunications Engineering Ertuğrul Başar focuses on wireless communication systems and their development. His research topics include new signal transmission methods and next-generation telecommunications networks.
Telecommunications is one of ITC’s key research areas. At Tampere University, researchers investigate technologies such as 5G and 6G, as well as methods for enabling more efficient and reliable data transmission.
Başar is included in the database of the world’s most-cited scientists in the field of Networking & Telecommunications, where he is among the researchers with the highest citation impact in Finland. His work represents Tampere University’s research in telecommunications, connecting theoretical methods with the development of next-generation wireless communication systems.
ITC’s research strengths represented across several fields
A total of 31 ITC researchers are included in the database of the world’s top 2% of scientists. They represent several disciplines that examine both how technologies work and how they are used in different contexts.
Gamification and game-based technologies
Tampere University’s Gamification Group investigates how game design principles and game-based systems can be applied to learning, working life, and digital services.
Telecommunications and communication networks
Research in telecommunications focuses on wireless communication systems, data transmission methods, and next-generation network technologies. Topics include network capacity, transmission reliability, and the design of new communication solutions.
Researchers in this field who are included in the database include Ertuğrul Başar, Mikko Valkama, Elena Simona Lohan, Aleksandr Ometov, Taneli Riihonen, and Heidi Kuusniemi. The researchers belong to the Tampere Wireless Research Centre.
Signal processing, computer vision, and artificial intelligence
Signal processing develops methods for processing and interpreting different types of signals and observations. Research topics include images, audio, and other digital signals. The field is also closely connected to computer vision, machine learning, and artificial intelligence.
Information studies and information seeking
Information studies examines information seeking, information behaviour, the use of information, and the production and dissemination of scientific knowledge. Research in this field helps explain how people search for, evaluate, and use information in different contexts.
Researchers included in the database include emeritus professors Reijo Savolainen and Pertti Vakkari, as well as Mikael Laakso, whose research focuses on open scholarly publishing.
What does the citation comparison tell us?
The database of the world’s top 2% of scientists is based on data compiled by John P. A. Ioannidis and published in the Elsevier Data Repository. The 2026 update uses data from Scopus as of 1 August 2026. The one-year citation-impact indicators cover citations received in 2025, while the career-long indicators extend through the end of 2025.
The comparison uses several bibliometric indicators, including citation counts, the h-index, measures accounting for co-authorship, and information about authors’ positions in publication bylines. Researchers are assessed across different scientific fields and subfields.
Citation counts provide one indication of how widely research publications are cited and used by other researchers. However, they do not, on their own, measure research quality, significance, or societal impact. Publication practices across disciplines and the accuracy of researchers’ Scopus profiles also affect the results.
The inclusion of Tampere University researchers in the database highlights the international visibility of research conducted at the university and the diversity of research represented across ITC.
