5,000 reads of chapter "Introduction: The semiotics of animal representations" on ResearchGate

According to ResearchGate our chapter "Introduction: The semiotics of animal representations" (co-written with Kadri Tüür) has reached 5,000 reads on their platform.  Read the chapter here.

Google Scholar: 1.554 citations; h-index of 22

According to my Google Scholar profile my research has attracted a total of 1.554 citations (+17 since February 2nd). This includes 168 citations in 2025 (+3 since February 2nd) and 20 citations so far in 2026 (+6). My h-index is now 22 (+1 since February 2nd), while my i10-index remains 46. The h-index implies that 22 of my texts have been cited at least 22 times each.

The latest addition to my h-index list of publications appears to be "Methodology of zoosemiotics: Concepts, categorisations, models", which I co-wrote with Timo Maran, Kadri Tüür, Riin Magnus, Silver Rattasepp and Nelly Mäekivi and which was published in 2016. This chapter has according to Google Scholar´s count been cited 22 times, including two citations in 2025.

Google Scholar: h-index 20, i10-index 37; 1220 citations

According to Google Scholar (cf. my profile), my research has to date attracted 1220 citations (+17 since September 26th). My h-index is now 20 (+1 since September 26th), and my i10-index is 37 (+1 since September 26th). This includes 151 citations so far in 2024 (+14 since September 26th). 

With these numbers, 2024 to date is now my 3rd best year in terms of number of citations, surpassing 2021 (148) yet still behind 2022 (186) and 2023 (174).

An h-index of 20 means that 20 of my scientific texts have been cited 20 times each or more. The latest one to make it is "Introducing zoosemiotics: Philosophy and historical background" (2016), written by Timo Maran, Morten Tønnessen, Riin Magnus, Nelly Mäekivi, Silver Rattasepp and Kadri Tüür, which has been cited 6 times so far this year and 21 times altogether.

An i10-index of 37 means that 37 of my scientific texts have been cited 10 times each or more. The latest to make it is "Introducing biosemiotic ethics" (2015), written by Morten Tønnessen, Jonathan Beever and Yogi Hale Hendlin, which has been cited 3 times this year and 10 times altogether.

Semiotics of animal representations intro chapter reaches 4.000 reads

Our book chapter "Introduction: The semiotics of animal representations", authored by me and Kadri Tüür, from the book The semiotics of animal representations (Rodopi - now Brill, 2014) has reached 4.000 reads at ResearchGate.

Google Scholar: 522 citations; i10-index 20

According to my Google Scholar profile, my research has attracted 520 citations (+13 since March 14th; +3 since December 30th 2020). My h-index is 12 (-1 since March 14th), and my i10-index 20 (+2 since March 14th and unchanged since December 30th). 2021 now stands with 29 citations (+13 since March 14th).

On the current count, I have 5 publications with more than 30 citations each. This includes 31 citations of the book The semiotics of animal representations, which I co-edited and co-wrote the introduction for, along with Kadri Tüür (and which has been merged to one source by Google Scholar).

Hungarian translation of introductory chapter on zoosemiotics published

Our introductory chapter from the 2016 University of Tartu Press book Animal Umwelten in a changing world - Zoosemiotic perspectives has now appeared in Hungarian translation:

— 2018h. Maran, Timo; Tønnessen, Morten; Magnus, Riin; Mäekivi, Nelly; Rattasepp, Silver; Tuur, Kadri (2018). Bevezetés a zooszemiotikába. Filozófiai és történeti áttekintés [Introduction to zoosemiotics. Philosophical and historical review; translation of 2016l, in Hungarian]. In: Szirmai Éva, Tóth Szergej, Újvári Edit (eds), Állati jelek, képek és terek [Animal signs, Pictures and spaces]. Szeged: Szegedi Egyetemi Kiadó, Juhász Gyula Felsöoktatási Kiadó, 15–34.

"The semiotics of animal representations" intro chapter cited in Hübben 2017

My co-edited book The Semiotics of Animal Representations (Rodopi 2014, edited with Kadri Tüür) has been cited in 

Hübben, Kelly 2017. Mr. Dog Is a Conservative. In: Anna Feuerstein & Carmen Nolte-Odhiambo (eds), Childhood and Pethood in Literature and Culture - New Perspectives on Childhood Studies and Animal Studies. New York & Abingon: Routledge.

Excerpt (p. 2-3 in that chapter):

As Kadri Tüür and Morten Tønnessen argue, representation in general is a form of meaning making distinct from communication and signification; on the other hand, the dynamic meaning-making process of representation takes place within cultural frameworks, where there is some room for overlap between representation, signification, and communication (12). Tüür and Tønnessen perceive the relation between real animals and their representations as two-directional, so that "the way we represent reality tends to influence the way we perceive reality (we only see what we are looking for)" (11). For representation of pets in picture books, it is significant to acknowledge this connection to the reality of human-animal interactions, since picture books, especially those that target a young readership, have a socializing and educational function (Stephens 158).

Program for 4th and final "Animals in changing environments" research seminar

The program for the 4th and final Norwegian research seminar of the Estonian-Norwegian research project "Animals in changing environments: Cultural mediation and semiotic analysis" is now available online, at the webpage of the project (in English and in Norwegian).

Copied here:

4th Norwegian research seminar of ”Animals in changing environments: Cultural mediation and semiotic analysis” (EMP151)

Venue: Lecture room KA-U-020 (Kjell Arholms hus)

Thursday December 15th

10.00-10.20 Morten Tønnessen (UIS): Welcome

10.20-11.00 Kadri Tüür (University of Tartu): ”The Semiotics of nature representations”

11.00-11.40 Kristin Armstrong Oma (AM/UIS): ”Living with animals in the Bronze Age”

11.40-12.20 Laura Kiiroja (University of Tartu): "Socialization of wolves"

12.20-13.20 Lunch break

13.20-14.00: Nelly Mäekivi (University of Tartu): ”Semiotic analysis and modelling of zoological gardens: an overview of PhD thesis”

14.00-14.40: Paul Thibault (University of Agder): ”Multimodal cultural thematic analysis of the interview data”

14.40-15.20 Riin Magnus (University of Tartu): ”The semiotics of guide dog work”

15.20-15.30 Break

15.30-16.30 General discussion

 — Ideas about theoretical synthesis, developing research programs

 — Future plans, possible collaboration

Friday December 16th

10:00-10.40 Silver Rattasepp (University of Tartu): ”Animals and the empirico-transcendental doublet”

10.40-11.20 Timo Maran (University of Tartu): ”Premises and lineaments of a general research model in Zoosemiotics”

11.20-12:00 Morten Tønnessen (UIS): ”The semiotics of predation and the nature of human beings”

The semiotics of animal representations cited in Gender Forum editorial

The semiotics of animal representations is cited in an editorial in Gender Forum, issue 55.

Reference:

Ohrem, Dominik 2015. The Question of the Animal and the Promises of Postanthropocentric Feminisms [p. 3, reference to “Tüür and Tønnessen” (MT 2014b)]. Editorial. Gender Forum issue 55: 1–8.

This refers to:

— 2014. The Semiotics of Animal Representations (Nature, Culture and Literature 10). Co-edited with Kadri Tüür. Amsterdam/New York: Rodopi. ISBN: 978-90-420-3827-1, E-Book ISBN: 978-94-012-1072-0.

Excerpt:

The study of animal cultures and societies (see, for example, de Waal and Tyack; Nimmo), the ‘philosophical ethologies’ of scholars like Vinciane Despret and Dominique Lestel (see the recent special issues of Angelaki: Journal of the Theoretical Humanities) or the perspectives of zoo semiotics and zoopoetics (Wheeler; Tüür and Tønnessen; Moe) are only a few examples of such attempts at articulating – or at least approaching – the ‘unheard-of thoughts about animals’ that Calarco refers to.

The Semiotics of Animal Representations sales report

Some days ago I was informed by Brill/Rodopi that the book The Semiotics of Animal Representations, which I edited along with Kadri Tüür, sold 102 copies in 2014.

The semiotics of animal representations included in SLE Annotations

The edited collection

Tüür, Kadri and Morten Tønnessen (eds) 2014. The Semiotics of Animal Representations (Nature, Culture and Literature 10). Amsterdam/New York: Rodopi.

is described in

NN 2015. Annotations. Studies in Literature and Environment 22 (2): 433-440. Doi: 10.1093/isle/isv045. 

Excerpt (p. 439):

Tüür, Kadri, and Morten Tønnessen, eds. The Semiotics of Animal Representations. Amsterdam: Rodopi, 2014. Part of Rodopi's Nature, Culture and Literature series, this book offers an introduction and thirteen essays that collectively explore and analyze a range of literary and cultural representations of nonhuman animals from around the world.

The Semiotics of Animal Representations on display at MAC3 in Delhi

The Semiotics of Animal Representations (Rodopi 2014, eds. Kari Tüür and myself) was on display at Minding Animals Conference 3 (Delhi, India, January 13-20th), at the booth of the organiser Wildlife Trust of India, along with discount flyers prepared for the occasion of the conference.

Book presentation of The Semiotics of Animal Representations held in Stavanger

On Friday October 24th I participated in a book presentation of The Semiotics of Animal Representations, along with Kadri Tüür, in University of Stavanger's Bokkafeen. The event was organised by the research project "Animals in changing environments: Cultural mediation and semiotic analysis" (EMP151).

Presentation of The Semiotics of Animal Representations in UiS Bokkafeen

Tomorrow, Friday October 24th, I will contribute during a book presentation in the University of Stavanger Book café (Bokkafeen), at 15.15-15.45, along with Kadri Tüür, my fellow editor of The Semiotics of Animal Representations.

More info on the webpage of the research project "Animals in changing environments", specifically here.

Two October 24th events announced: Research seminar "Representation of animals"; book presentation

In the same email that announced the first call for papers for the conference "Animals in the Anthropocene: Human-animal relations in a changing semiosphere" (University of StavangerSeptember 17-19, 2015) yesterday, I informed about two events which are to take place at the University of Stavanger on Friday October 24th:

* the 2nd research seminar of the Norwegian research group of the research project "Animals in changing environments", titled "Representation of animals" (10.15-14.45) 

* presentation of the book The Semiotics of Animal Representations in Bokkafeen, UiS. at 15.15-15.45, featuring Kadri Tüür (University of Tartu) and myself.

These events too will shortly be announced on the homepage of the research project "Animals in changing environments".

The Semiotics of Animal Representations featured on IASS homepage

Our book The Semiotics of Animal Representations (Rodopi 2014, eds. Kadri Tüür and myself) is presented on the webpage of the International Association for Semiotic Studies (IASS-AIS).

The Semiotics of Animal Representations presented at Framing nature conference

On Tuesday 29th of April Kadri Tüür and I briefly (5 minutes combined) presented our forthcoming edited collection The Semiotics of Animal Representations (Rodopi) at the conference "Framing nature: Signs, Stories and Ecologies of Meaning" (Tartu, April 29 - May 3) during "Postgraduate reception, poster session and book exhibition". 

Some 50 people attended. Discount flyers from Rodopi were distributed at this occasion and throughout the conference.

Book introduction at Framing nature conference: The Semiotics of Animal Representations

The edited anthology The Semiotics of Animal Representations, which will appear in a few weeks, published by Rodopi, will be presented during the conference "Framing nature: Signs, Stories and Ecologies of Meaning" (Tartu, April 29 - May 3). Specifically, my fellow editor Kadri Tüür and I will present the book during the conference's "Postgraduate reception, poster session and book exhibition", which will take place Tuesday April 29th at 18-19 (Struve 1 – room 244).