What is a good H-index? | Elsevier Author Services Blog (2024)

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You have finally overcome the exhausting process of a successful paper publication and are just thinking that it’s time to relax for a while. Maybe you are right to do so, but don’t take very long…you see, just like the research process itself, pursuing a career as an author of published works is also about expecting results. In other words, today there are tools that can tell you if your publication(s) is/are impacting the number of people you believed it would (or not). One of the most common tools researchers use is the H-index score.

Knowing how impactful your publications are among your audience is key to defining your individual performance as a researcher and author. This helps the scientific community compare professionals in the same research field (and career length). Although scoring intellectual activities is often an issue of debate, it also brings its own benefits:

  1. Inside the scientific community: A standardization of researchers’ performances can be useful for comparison between them, within their field of research. For example, H-index scores are commonly used in the recruitment processes for academic positions and taken into consideration when applying for academic or research grants. At the end of the day, the H-index is used as a sign of self-worth for scholars in almost every field of research.
  2. In an individual point of view: Knowing the impact of your work among the target audience is especially important in the academic world. With careful analysis and the right amount of reflection, the H-index can give you clues and ideas on how to design and implement future projects. If your paper is not being cited as much as you expected, try to find out what the problem might have been. For example, was the research content irrelevant for the audience? Was the selected journal wrong for your paper? Was the text poorly written? For the latter, consider Elsevier’s text editing and translation services in order to improve your chances of being cited by other authors and improving your H-index.

What is my H-index?

Basically, the H-index score is a standard scholarly metric in which the number of published papers, and the number of times their author is cited, is put into relation. The formula is based on the number of papers (H) that have been cited, and how often, compared to those that have not been cited (or cited as much). See the table below as a practical example:

Publication>Times Cited
1>79
2>71
3>45
4>36
5>10
6>7H-index=6
7>6
8>3
9>1

In this case, the researcher scored an H-index of 6, since he has 6 publications that have been cited at least 6 times. The remaining articles, or those that have not yet reached 6 citations, are left aside.

A good H-index score depends not only on a prolific output but also on a large number of citations by other authors. It is important, therefore, that your research reaches a wide audience, preferably one to whom your topic is particularly interesting or relevant, in a clear, high-quality text. Young researchers and inexperienced scholars often look for articles that offer academic security by leaving no room for doubts or misinterpretations.

What is a good H-Index score journal?

Journals also have their own H-Index scores. Publishing in a high H-index journal maximizes your chances of being cited by other authors and, consequently, may improve your own personal H-index score. Some of the “giants” in the highest H-index scores are journals from top universities, like Oxford University, with the highest score being 146, according to Google Scholar.

Knowing the H-index score of journals of interest is useful when searching for the right one to publish your next paper. Even if you are just starting as an author, and you still don’t have your own H-index score, you may want to start in the right place to skyrocket your self-worth.

See below some of the most commonly used databases that help authors find their H-index values:

  1. Elsevier’s Scopus: Includes Citation Tracker, a feature that shows how often an author has been cited. To this day, it is the largest abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature.
  2. Clarivate Analytics Web of Science: a digital platform that provides the H-index with its Citation Reports feature
  3. Google Scholar: a growing database that calculates H-index scores for those who have a profile.

Maximize the impact of your research by publishing high-quality articles. A richly edited text with flawless grammar may be all you need to capture the eye of other authors and researchers in your field. With Elsevier, you have the guarantee of excellent output, no matter the topic or your target journal.

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What is a good H-index? | Elsevier Author Services Blog (2024)

FAQs

What is a good h-index score for an author? ›

Hirsch reckons that after 20 years of research, an h-index of 20 is good, 40 is outstanding, and 60 is truly exceptional.

What is a good number for the h-index? ›

Now let's talk numbers: what h-index is considered good? According to Hirsch, a person with 20 years of research experience with an h-index of 20 is considered good, 40 is great, and 60 is remarkable.

Is an h-index of 40 good? ›

h index of 40 after 20 years of scientific activity, characterizes outstanding scientists, likely to be found only at the top universities or major research laboratories. h index of 60 after 20 years, or 90 after 30 years, characterizes truly unique individuals.

Is 70 a good h-index? ›

The same study found that if you are aiming for a Nobel Prize, your h-index needs to be at least 35 and preferably much closer to 70.

What is a good h-index for a PhD candidate? ›

An h-index between 1 and 5 might be typical for students nearing the end of their PhD. This means you have 1 to 5 publications that have been cited at least 1 to 5 times, respectively. Your h-index can be calculated using tools like Google Scholar or Web of Science.

What is the h-index for full professor? ›

However, an h-index of Three and Five can be set as standard for assistant professor, 8 to 12 for associate professor and h-index of 15 to 20 is a good standard for appointment to full professor.

Who has the highest h-index in the world? ›

Scientists with High H-Indexes

At the time of writing, the highest score recorded by Google Scholar is 300, by researcher Ronald C Kessler from Harvard University.

Is an h-index of 3 high? ›

It's calculated by dividing a scientist's h-index by the number of times that have passed since the first publication, with a score of 1 being veritably good indeed, 2 being outstanding and 3 truly exceptional.

What is the h-index of Einstein? ›

The total number of citations is the area under the curve [26]. According to Microsoft Academic Graph, Einstein has an h-index of 67, and Higgs 8.

What is the average h-index of Nobel laureates? ›

The average h-index of price award winners (17.77) was found to be less than that of Nobel prize winners in physics (34.5), chemistry (65.17), and economics (67.31), as reported in previous research (Farhadi et al, 2013).

What is a good h-index after 5 years? ›

What's a good h-index for an assistant professor academic position?
Academic FieldEarly-stage Assistant Professor (1-2 years)Late-stage Assistant Professor (5+ years)
Physical Sciences10-1418-23
Engineering12-1620-25
Social Sciences9-1317-22
Humanities4-710-14
3 more rows
Sep 21, 2023

What is a good h-index for a social scientist? ›

That said, a good H-index can be considered one that is above the average for their field and discipline. According to a 2019 study of H-indices in the social sciences, the median H-index for PhDs in social sciences is around 8, with a range of 2 to 21 depending on the specific field of study.

What is a good h-index by age? ›

So maybe the new benchmark for H-index is to exceed your age. JE Hirsch, the author of the h index estimated that after 20 years a “successful scientist” will have an h-index of 20, an “outstanding scientist” an h-index of 40, and a “truly unique” individual an h-index of 60a.

Why is my h-index so low? ›

The number is based on the papers a researcher publishes and the citations those papers get. Publishing a lot of highly cited articles will increase your h-index. On the other hand, getting a lot of citations on only one or two papers will not give you a high h-index.

How many citations are considered good? ›

A: About 4 to 8 citations for 1 to 2 pages of research proposal paper, and about 15 to 20 citations for the 4 to 10 pages of a research paper. Remember that the number of citations for professional, scientific research papers will be drastically different.

Who has the highest h-index? ›

Scientists with High H-Indexes

At the time of writing, the highest score recorded by Google Scholar is 300, by researcher Ronald C Kessler from Harvard University.

What is a good h-index by career stage? ›

On average and good H-index for a PhD student is between 1 and 5, a postdoc between 2 and 17, an assistant professor between 4 – 35 and a full professor typically about 30+. Our comprehensive blog delves into the nuances of the h-index, its relevance in academic promotions, and the challenges it presents.

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