The Hirsch Index is one of the key indicators for evaluating the scientific activity of scientists around the world. In this article we will consider the principles of its calculation and its importance for a scientist.
Hirsch index. What is it?
The Hirsch Index (h-index) is a key indicator of the scientific activity of an individual scientist, a group of researchers or an organisation. This quantitative metric is based on the analysis of publications and their citations, which allows us to assess the significance, influence and weight of the total scientific contribution. The index was developed in 2005 by physicist Jorge E. Hirsch of the University of California, San Diego.
The mission of the h-index is to provide a more accurate and more specific measure of scientific activity than individual measures of total publications or citations.
How is the Hirsch index calculated?
The h-index is calculated based on the number of an author's scientific papers and their citations. The more often a researcher's publications are cited, the higher his h-index will be.
The calculation of this index demonstrates the relationship between the number of publications and the number of their citations. For example, if the h-index is 10, it means that the author has at least 10 papers, each of which has been cited at least 10 times.
Let's take a closer look at how the Hirsch index is calculated, using two examples.
| Example 1 | Example 2 | |||
| Article | Number of references | Article | Number of references | |
| 1 | 7 | 1 | 7 | |
| 2 | 5 | 2 | 6 | |
| 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | |
| 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | |
| 5 | 2 | 5 | 2 | |
| 6 | 1 | 6 | 1 | |
| Value of h-index | h-index = 3 | h-index = 4 | ||
The calculation of the h-index starts with the first article that has the highest number of citations, and then the publications are ordered in descending order by the number of citations.
In the first example, we can see that starting from the fourth article, the number of citations becomes less than its number (4 > 3). In this case, the h-index is the ordinal number of the last article for which the number of citations is greater than or equal to its number.
In the second example, the ordinal number of the article is equal to its number of citations, and this number is the h-index indicator.
Peculiarities of calculation of Hirsch index
Features of calculation of Hirsch index on specific examples:
- Scientist 1: 1 scientific article that has been cited 100 times. Hirsch index = 1
- Scientist 2: 100 articles, each of which has 1 citation. Hirsch index = 1
- Scientist 3: 2 articles, each of which has been cited 2 times. Hirsch Index = 2
It should be noted that today there is no single scale for assessing the Hirsch index. The definition of this index mainly depends on specific regulatory requirements related to a certain scientific goal.
For example, the highest h-index belongs to Ronald K. Kessler and is 300. Nobel laureates usually have a Hirsch index of more than 100. However, there are exceptions to this rule. For example, Akira Yoshino, who won the Nobel Prize in 2019, has an h-index of only 12.
The importance of the Hirsch index for scientists
The h-index is a key indicator of a researcher's scholarly impact that is widely used in scientometric databases, author profiles, and academic platforms. This index, calculated on the basis of the number of publications and their citation rate, reflects the popularity of a researcher's scientific work among colleagues and serves as an indicator of his or her scientific importance.
The Hirsch Index plays an important role in academic recruitment processes and research grant applications. Its analysis can be a useful tool for evaluating research performance and planning future projects. For example, if a particular paper is cited less frequently than expected, this may indicate a need to revise the topic or approach to its promotion.
A high H-index also contributes to successful international co-operation. It indicates a researcher's significant contribution to science, which contributes to trust among foreign colleagues and institutions. Researchers with a high H-index are often invited to participate in international projects, conferences and research collaborations, as their work is considered influential and valuable for collaborative initiatives.
A high H-index depends not only on intensive research activity, but also on a significant number of citations of your work by other researchers. It is therefore important that your research is accessible to a wide audience, in particular those for whom your topic is particularly relevant, and is presented in a clear and high-quality format.
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