The authors show that the role of top performers as knowledge producers in Poland today is as fundamental as it was 10, 20, and 30 years ago.
The contribution of top performers to the overall national research output was examined from a temporal (1992–2021) and disciplinary (15 STEMM disciplines) perspective. Three classes of top performers (the top 1%, 5%, and 10% of scientists in terms of publication productivity) were examined separately within disciplines and five 6-year periods.
A large population of all internationally visible Polish scientists (N=152,043) with their 587,558 articles was studied.
Although the social and economic world underwent strong transformations and academic science experienced the greatest upheavals in its recent history, Polish top performers played a structurally similar, fundamental role from 1992–2021. The top 1% account for an average of 10% of national research output (1/10 rule), and the top 10% account for almost 50% of national research output (10/50 rule), with significant disciplinary differences.
