OOIR: Observatory of International Research

Papers

(The median citation count of International Journal of Astrobiology is 2. The table below lists those papers that are above that threshold based on CrossRef citation counts [max. 250 papers]. The publications cover those that have been published in the past four years, i.e., from 2021-07-01 to 2025-07-01.)

Article	Citations
The social science perspective on the Fermi paradox	35
Identifying optimal decision-making strategies and determining effective messaging to maximize the expected outcomes of potential human–extraterrestrial encounters	30
Fungal biomarkers are detectable in Martian rock-analogues after space exposure: implications for the search of life on Mars	16
Observation of significant photosynthesis in garden cress and cyanobacteria under simulated illumination from a K dwarf star	14
Reaching out to early-career astrobiologists: AbGradE's actions and perspectives	10
Abiogenesis: the Carter argument reconsidered	9
Alien technology, conjunction and ergodicity	8
Submarine hydrothermal vent systems: the relevance of dynamic systems in chemical evolution and prebiotic chemistry experiments	7
Mars: new insights and unresolved questions – Corrigendum	7
Heat-induced changes in molecular biosignatures and the influence of Mars-relevant minerals	7
Houston, we have a problem…or do we? The trajectory of astrobioethics and Indigenous thought	6
If extraterrestrial intelligence exists, it is unable to recognize humans as intelligent beings – ERRATUM	6
Martian stick-like structures are not trace fossils: a new protocol for testing ichnogenicity synthesized from paleosol ichnology	6
The future of intelligence in the Universe: a call for humility	6
Formalizing the Fermi paradox and combining consistent explanatory hypotheses	6
Role of horizontal gene transfers and microbial ecology in the evolution of fluxes through the tricarboxylic acid cycle	6
Extraterrestrial nature reserves (ETNRs)	5
Astrovirology: how viruses enhance our understanding of life in the Universe	5
Survival of Xanthoria parietina in simulated space conditions: vitality assessment and spectroscopic analysis	5
Intelligence as a planetary scale process	5
Succession of the bacterial community from a spacecraft assembly clean room when enriched in brines relevant to Mars	5
Special issue: Open questions and next steps in astrobiology in Europe – celebrating 20 years of EANA	4
Fifty years of astrobiology: mapping researcher communities with topic-based network analyses	4
Astrobiology: resolution of the statistical Drake equation by Maccone's lognormal method in 50 steps	4
Physical and chemical mechanisms that impact the detection, identification, and quantification of organic matter and the survival of microorganisms on the Martian surface – a review	4

Subsurface scientific exploration of extraterrestrial environments (MINAR 5): analogue science, technology and education in the Boulby Mine, UK – CORRIGENDUM	4
Von Neumann probes: rationale, propulsion, interstellar transfer timing	3
Drosophila melanogaster: a promising system for space biology research	3
If extraterrestrial intelligence exists, it is unable to recognize humans as intelligent beings	3
Astrobiological applications of μ-mapping X-ray fluorescence spectrometry	3
Bacteria Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, terrestrial analogue of extraterrestrial microorganisms?	3
Stromatolite photomorphogenesis: lighting up their shape	3
Hype, skin in the game, and the stability of cooperative science	3
Microbial protocols for spacecraft: 2. Biocidal effects of Delrin and nylon in sealed compartments may enhance bioburden reductions in planetary spacecraft	3
Role of DNA repair pathways in the recovery of a dried, radioresistant cyanobacterium exposed to high-LET radiation: implications for the habitability of Mars	3
Self-replicating probes are imminent – implications for SETI	3
Computer simulations of biotic chiral selection scenarios	3
Iron reduction as a viable metabolic pathway in Enceladus’ ocean	3
Megatsunamis and microbial life on early Mars	3
Experimental and theoretical studies of the interactions of alanine onto surfaces of olivine and montmorillonite: relevance in astrobiology	3
The Fermi paradox: impact of astrophysical processes and dynamical evolution	2
On biosignatures for Mars	2
Solid grains ejected from terrestrial exoplanets as a probe of the abundance of life in the Milky Way	2
Astroecology: bridging the gap between ecology and astrobiology	2
Detection and prebiotic chemistry of possible glycine precursor molecule methylenimine towards the hot molecular core G10.47+0.03	2
Applications of microbial bioplastic polyhydroxyalkanoates as biosignatures for astrobiological detection	2
Early taphonomic processes in a microbial-based sedimentary system from a temperate salt-pan site (Cervia salterns, Italy)	2
Database on mineral mediated carbon reduction: implications for future research	2
Presence of liquid water during the evolution of exomoons orbiting ejected free-floating planets	2
Astrobiocentrism: reflections on challenges in the transition to a vision of life and humanity in space	2
Detection of pre-industrial societies on exoplanets – ERRATUM	2
Transdisciplinary contributions in undergraduate university students through a stratospheric balloon project with an astrobiological focus	2
Planetary biotechnospheres, biotechnosignatures and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence	2
Frontiers of astrobiology and the humanities	2
Environmental constraints on the origin of life based on membrane formation: the role of salinity	2
Hydrocarbons on Mars	2
Life detection in Martian returned samples: correlation between analytical techniques and biological signatures	2
The challenging history of other Earths	2
Long-read sequencing reveals increased occurrence of genomic variants and adenosine methylation in Bacillus pumilus SAFR-032 after long-duration flight exposure onboard the International Space	2
Dehydrated thin film media to rapidly estimate bioburden for planetary protection flight implementation	2