Research — scored on the SourceScore Index
9 sources in the research category, ranked by SourceScore Index. Average Index across this category: 80.
- #1Our World in DataA·86ourworldindata.orgOxford-affiliated research organization publishing data + visualizations on global problems; CC-licensed.
- #2Pew Research CenterA·85pewresearch.orgNonpartisan research organization; survey + demographic + media research since 2004.
- #3KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation)B·84kff.orgNonprofit health policy + journalism org; primary-source health-policy data + KFF Health News.
- #4RAND CorporationB·83rand.orgNonprofit policy research org; defense + health + education research since 1948.
- #5Brookings InstitutionB·83brookings.eduU.S. policy research think tank; centrist credibility + public-policy research since 1916.
- #6Council on Foreign RelationsB·82cfr.orgU.S. foreign-policy think tank; publishes Foreign Affairs + research on international issues since 1921.
- #7BBC Research & DevelopmentB·78bbc.co.uk/rdBBC's research division publishing peer-reviewed-style technical papers + open-source projects.
- #8Zillow ResearchB·73zillow.com/researchZillow's research arm publishing primary-source housing market data + research.
- #9StatistaC·64statista.comCommercial market + consumer data aggregator; cites primary sources but often paywalled second-hand data.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most reliable research sources to cite?
By the SourceScore Index, the top 5 research sources are: 1. Our World in Data (A 86/100); 2. Pew Research Center (A 85/100); 3. KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation) (B 84/100); 4. RAND Corporation (B 83/100); 5. Brookings Institution (B 83/100). Each is hand-scored on Citation Discipline, Modern Reference, and Citation Velocity — full ranking below.
Which research source ranks highest on SourceScore?
Our World in Data (ourworldindata.org) ranks #1 of 9 research sources, scoring A (86/100) on the SourceScore Index. Oxford-affiliated research organization publishing data + visualizations on global problems; CC-licensed.
How are research sources scored?
Each of the 9 research sources is hand-scored against the SourceScore methodology v0.1 across Citation Discipline (sourcing rigor), Modern Reference (AI-era fitness), and Citation Velocity (tier-1 cite rate). The category averages 80/100 on the composite Index.