The Hirsch index and related impact measures

The Hirsch index and related impact measures

Monotonicity and the Hirsch index

The Hirsch index is a number that synthesizes a researcher’s output. It is the maximum number h such that the researcher has h papers with at least h citations each. Woeginger [Woeginger, G. J. (2008a). An axiomatic characterization of the Hirsch-index. Mathematical Social Sciences, 56(2), 224–232; Woeginger, G. J. (2008b). A symmetry axiom for scientific impact indices. Journal of Informetrics...

Categorizing Hirsch Index Variants

Utilizing the Hirsch index h and some of its variants for an exploratory factor analysis we discuss whether one of the most important Hirsch-type indices, namely the g-index comprises information about not only the size of the productive core but also the impact of the papers in the core. We also study the effect of logarithmic and square-root transformation of the data utilized in the factor a...

The predictability of the Hirsch index evolution

The h-index can be used as a predictor of itself. However, the evolution of the h-index with time is shown in the present investigation to be dominated for several years by citations to previous publications rather than by new scientific achievements. This inert behaviour of the h-index raises questions, whether the h-index can be used profitably in academic appointment processes or for the all...

Statistical analysis of the Hirsch Index

The Hirsch index (commonly referred to as h-index) is a bibliometric indicator which is widely recognized as effective for measuring the scientific production of a scholar since it summarizes size and impact of the research output. In a formal setting, the h-index is actually an empirical functional of the distribution of the citation counts received by the scholar. Under this approach, the asy...