Scientometrics includes a significant number of indicators for assessing the activity of a scholar, higher education institutions, institutions, and so on. One of the most well-known and universal metrics is the h-index, which takes into account not only the number of publications, but also their quality. What is the h-index? How can it be calculated? What are the advantages of a high h-index? Let us discuss this in today’s article.
What is the h-index?
The h-index is a quantitative scientometric indicator of a scholar’s scientific activity and productivity. It reflects not only the number of a researcher’s publications, but also their quality, which is expressed in the citation of their works.
The h-index was proposed in 2005 by the physicist Jorge Eduardo Hirsch (University of California, San Diego). This metric is actively used in the Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases, and is also an effective tool for assessing the contribution of scholars to the development of science.
How can a scholar calculate their h-index?
The h-index is defined as the number h for which a researcher has h publications, each of which has been cited at least h times. For example, a scholar’s h-index is equal to 8 if they have 8 articles, each of which has been cited at least 8 times. The higher this indicator is, the more significant the work is considered to be for the scientific community. For better understanding, let us consider the calculation using a table:
| Article number | Number of citations |
| 1 | 15 |
| 2 | 13 |
| 3 | 12 |
| 4 | 11 |
| 5 | 10 |
| 6 | 9 |
| 7 | 8 |
| 8 | 8 |
| 9 | 7 |
| 10 | 6 |
To calculate the h-index, the articles must first be arranged in descending order according to the number of citations. After that, it is necessary to find the largest number h for which the requirement is met that the author has at least h publications, each of which has been cited at least h times. As we can see from the table, this condition ceases to be met at the 9th article, since the number of its citations is less than 8. That is why the 9th article is not used in calculating the indicator.
What are the advantages of a high h-index for scholars?
The h-index reflects the relevance and significance of a scholar’s works for the scientific community, which is expressed in the number of citations of their research. A high h-index has a number of advantages for a scholar, including the following:
- Competitiveness. During staff selection for a position at a university or scientific institution, one of the important criteria is the h-index. A candidate with a high indicator will have a significant advantage, as this will indicate a high level of their competence in the field.
- Research funding. When applications for research project funding are considered, a candidate with a high h-index will have a significant advantage. This will indicate that the researcher is capable of conducting high-quality research that meets international standards and is in demand within the academic community.
- Career development. In modern conditions, the h-index has considerable practical significance for a scholar’s professional and career development. It is often taken into account during competitions for teaching and research positions, or when considering a candidate for the award of an academic degree or academic title.
- Expansion of professional contacts. The higher a scholar’s visibility in the scientific environment, the more effectively the attention of other researchers, editorial offices, or potential partners for joint projects is attracted. A high h-index can positively influence interest in the author as a reliable partner in joint research. A high value of this metric improves trust in the scholar and can open up new opportunities for professional communication.
Work on increasing the h-index should be planned by the researcher in advance. This will help increase visibility in the academic environment and open up a number of opportunities for the scholar’s professional fulfilment.
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