Library Help: Office For Open Research

What is a 'Hot Paper'?

A Hot Paper is a designation assigned by Clarivate to publications that receive a rapid and unusually high number of citations shortly after publication. This recognition is based on data from the Web of Science and highlights research that is attracting immediate attention and interest within the academic community.

Hot Papers are typically:

• Published within the last two years

• Among the top 0.1% of papers in their field by citation growth rate

• Often focused on emerging topics, innovative methods, or pressing societal issues

Many Hot Papers may later go on to receive the Highly Cited Paper designation as they accumulate more long-term impact.

Why is the 'Hot Paper' designation important?

Hot Papers can be a strong early indicator of influence and research momentum. They offer insight into:

• Current relevance
  Highlight research that is gaining immediate traction, often due to high-profile developments, societal relevance, or methodological novelty.

• Emerging impact
  Indicate that a paper is shaping ongoing research, sparking debate, or prompting follow-up studies.

• Visibility and engagement
  Hot Papers often attract media coverage, mentions in policy discussions, or inclusion in key conferences—enhancing a researcher’s profile.

• Trend identification
  Tracking Hot Papers can help researchers and institutions identify growing areas of interest, potential collaborators, or future high-impact topics.
   

How Are Hot Papers Determined?

Clarivate identifies Hot Papers using citation data from Web of Science. A paper is designated as “Hot” if it:

• Was published in the past two years

• Falls within the top 0.1% of papers by citation growth in its subject category

• Is cited significantly more often than other recent papers in the same field

This is distinct from the Highly Cited Paper status, which recognises publications with high long-term citation performance (typically in the top 1% over 10 years).

Platforms for 'Hot Paper' designation

Web of Science:

Web of Science is the primary platform for identifying Hot Papers. You can:

• See if an individual paper has the Hot Paper label in its citation summary

• Browse curated lists of Hot Papers by field or time period

• Track which recent publications are gaining attention rapidly

InCites:

InCites, Clarivate’s analytics tool, can also help track Hot Papers at:

• The institutional, departmental, or author level

• As part of benchmarking or trend analysis based on Web of Science data

📌 Note: Not all platforms display Hot Paper status. This designation is specific to Clarivate’s ecosystem (Web of Science and InCites).
 

How to Find Hot Papers in Web of Science

To find Hot Papers in Web of Science, follow these steps:

1. Search for Your Paper:

   • Acess Web of Science using the link available within Library Search
   • Use the search feature to find the paper by title, DOI, or author.
      

2. Review Citation Information:

   • Once you’ve found the paper, Web of Science will indicate if it has been designated as a Hot Paper in the citation overview section.
      

3. Explore Hot Paper Lists:

   • You can explore curated lists of Hot Papers on Web of Science by looking at the Hot Papers section, which highlights the papers with the highest citation growth in the last two years.

Need help interpreting Hot Paper data?

The Research Indicators team can support you with:

• Understanding what the Hot Paper status means for your research or institution

• Using InCites to track Hot Papers across subject areas

• Incorporating Hot Paper metrics into reports, grant applications, or evaluations

📞 Contact the Office for Open Research