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.

Applied Umwelt theory article published

My article "Applied umwelt theory in the context of phenomenological triangulation and descriptive phenomenology" has now been published, as part of the special issue "Umwelt theory". 

Reference:

— Tønnessen, Morten 2024. Applied umwelt theory in the context of phenomenological triangulation and descriptive phenomenology. Sign Systems Studies 52 (3/4) (special issue “Umwelt theory”, eds. Riin Magnus and Nelly Mäekivi): 315–343. https://doi.org/10.12697/SSS.2024.52.3-4.02 

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.

To contribute to Sign Systems Studies special issue on Umwelt theory

My proposed paper "Applied Umwelt theory – in the context of descriptive phenomenology and phenomenological triangulation" has been accepted for inclusion in the special issue “Contemporary applications of umwelt theory” of Sign Systems Studies. A full manuscript is due March 1st.

Biosemiotics 13(1) published; includes my global/Amazon human ecology article

Biosemiotics 13(1) has now appeared. This is a special issue guest-edited by Nelly Mäekivi and Riin Magnus, titled "The semiotics of hybrid natures". Table of contents here.

The issue includes my article "Current human ecology in the Amazon and beyond: A multi-scale ecosemiotic approach" (open access).

Article accepted: "Current human ecology in the Amazon and beyond: A multi-scale ecosemiotic approach"

Today I have been notified that my article "Current human ecology in the Amazon and beyond: A multi-scale ecosemiotic approach" has been accepted for publication in Biosemiotics. Will appear in a special issue on hybrid natures (guest-edited by Nelly Mäekivi and Riin Magnus).

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.

To write article for "Semiotics of hybrid natures" special issue

I have agreed, upon invitation from guest editors Riin Magnus and Nelly Mäekivi, to contribute with an article to the forthcoming special issue of Biosemiotics "The semiotics of hybrid natures". My paper will be based on my conference presentation "Current human ecology in light of Umwelt theory", held in Tartu during the recent "The semiotics of hybrid natures" conference.

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”

Cooperator for wolf article on man-eaters reshuffled once again

For quite some time now I have had an agreement with Estonian wolf researcher Ilmar Rootsi which involves co-writing an academic article on canid man-eaters in the next-to-modern history of Estonia, Finland, Sweden and Norway. In mid-October 2011 Nelly Mäekivi got back into that project, replacing Silver Rattasepp yet again as the third co-writer. By now she's a doctoral student (as is he).

"Shared worlds" funded; third plenary speaker confirmed; NGO to be registered

The October 14-15 Oslo workshop/seminar "Shared worlds" (see also our Facebook page), arranged under the umbrella of Minding Animals, will receive funding (1.000 Euro) from the research grant "Dynamical zoosemiotics and animal representations", where I am involved as a researcher.

A third plenary speaker, Nelly Mäekivi from Estonia, who is also involved in that research grant, has been confirmed. Her talk is entitled "Misunderstandings in shared environments: The case of zoos".
We the organizers held a meeting Monday 18th. A little later we decided that we will register MAO as a NGO - though it remains to be seen whether we will arrange further activities under that name.