H-index: The hottest topic in information science today
Jorge E. Hirsch, originator of the h-index, described it as "a useful index to characterize the scientific output of a researcher" But is the h-index really superior to other measures, such as total citations?
In late 2005, Jorge E. Hirsch, Professor of Physics at the University of California, San Diego, published an article describing the h-index, which, he called "a useful index to characterize the scientific output of a researcher." (See J.E. Hirsch, An index to quantify an individual's scientific research output, PNAS, 102(46): 16569-72, 15 November 2005.
A survey of the current edition of Thomson Reuters Essential Science IndicatorsSM database reveals that the h-index is the hottest topic in information science today, and Hirsch himself recently published another paper on this subject. He has argued that "h is preferable to other single-number criteria commonly used to evaluate scientific output of a researcher", but has also cautioned that the h-index "should only be used as one measure, not as the primary basis for evaluating people for awards or promotion."
But is the h-index really superior to other measures, such as total citations?