h-index

The h-index is a key indicator that applies to an individual researcher's body of work, offering a way to assess both the quantity and impact of their research output. It aims to evaluate a researcher's engagement in their field by examining the relationship between the number of articles they've published and how frequently each of these articles has been cited.

To calculate the h-index, a researcher's publications are arranged in descending order based on the number of citations each has received. The h-index is then determined as the point where the article number matches or exceeds its citation count.

The h-index is particularly useful for comparing researchers within the same field. However, it's important to note that it shouldn't be used to compare researchers across different disciplines. This is because publication norms and citation patterns can vary significantly between fields, making cross-disciplinary comparisons potentially misleading.

The h-index for researchers can be determined using citation databases such as JCR (Journal Citation Reports) and Scopus.