Proposal of an individual scientometric index with emphasis on ponderation of the effective contribution of the first author: h-fac índex.

In the individual assessment of a scientific performance, five scientometric indices have been used most: the h-index, the index g, the h-major index, the contemporary h-index and the normalized h-index. We propose an alternative index ("Index h-fac"), which considers positively the participation of the first author and that, by having a dynamic characteristic, continuously monitors his/her performance and is easily adaptable to particular or individual situations from different research groups. Results from the geometric mean between the original h-index as proposed by Hirsh and a correction factor ("fac", "first author commitment") and, in turn, this value is divided by the mean interval (in years) of all studies. The index emphasizes two scores (X and Y). These scores X and Y were obtained by asking to all 83 cardiovascular surgeons from Southern Brazil (Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul) and Specialists, how they realistically estimated, in percentage, their effective contribution in each published paper in which they appeared as first author. Of the total, 80 (96.4%) responded. The average obtained was 78.0% and on this basis, the X score was established as 0.75 and the score Y as 0.25. The new index also considers the total number of citations as first author and as co-author, the average number of coauthors per publication and the total number of papers published. Theoretical examples are presented, discussing the main advantages of application. Serial evaluations in real world situations should be instituted to confirm the diagnostic and prognostic utility of this new index.