Many scholars, faculty members, students, and junior researchers are still confused about how the h-index is calculated. I would like to explain it with a very simple example as shown below.
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What is the H-Index?
The H-Index is a number that shows both how many research papers a person has written and how many times other people have cited (mentioned) those papers. It helps us understand how productive and influential a researcher is.
How to Calculate the H-Index?
Step 1: List All Papers:
Write down all the research papers the person has written.
Step 2: Count Citations:
For each paper, count how many times other researchers have cited (mentioned) it in their work.
Step 3: Sort the Papers:
Arrange the papers in order, from the one with the most citations to the one with the least citations.
Step 4: Find the H-Index:
Look for the highest number h such that the researcher has h papers with at least h citations each.
Example Step-by-Step
Imagine a researcher has published 5 papers.
Here are the papers and their citations:
Paper A: 10 citations
Paper B: 8 citations
Paper C: 5 citations
Paper D: 4 citations
Paper E: 3 citations
Step 1: List All Papers
We already have the list of papers and their citations.
Step 2: Count Citations
We've counted the citations for each paper.
Step 3: Sort the Papers
Arrange the papers from most to least citations:
Paper A: 10 citations
Paper B: 8 citations
Paper C: 5 citations
Paper D: 4 citations
Paper E: 3 citations
Step 4: Find the H-Index
Now, find the highest number h such that h papers have at least h citations each.
Paper A has 10 citations (≥ 1)
Paper B has 8 citations (≥ 2)
Paper C has 5 citations (≥ 3)
Paper D has 4 citations (≥ 4)
Paper E has 3 citations (< 5)
In this case, Paper D is the fourth paper, and it has 4 citations. So, 4 papers have at least 4 citations each. But when we check the fifth paper, it only has 3 citations, which is less than 5.
Conclusion:
The H-Index of this researcher is 4 because there are 4 papers with at least 4 citations each.
What is Considered a Good H-Index?
Different fields have different citation practices. For example, in the natural sciences and medicine, where research is often highly cited, a higher H-Index is common. In the humanities and social sciences, where research is typically cited less frequently, a lower H-Index might still be considered impressive.
An H-Index can be considered good based on the career stage:
Early-Career Researchers: An H-Index of 10 can be considered good for researchers in the early stages of their careers (e.g., within 10 years of their first publication).
Mid-Career Researchers: An H-Index of 20 or higher is often considered good for mid-career researchers.
Senior Researchers: An H-Index of 40 or more is typically considered excellent for researchers with long, established careers.
Good H-Indexes in Specific Fields:
Physics/Engineering: An H-Index of 20-30 might be considered good for an experienced researcher.
Biology/Medicine: An H-Index of 40 or higher might be expected for top-tier researchers.
Social Sciences/Humanities: An H-Index of 10-20 can be quite respectable.
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Very nicely explained