Assessing the performance of scientists is an extremely important process in the academic sphere. It forms the basis for creating various ranking lists, distributing funding, and appointing prestigious academic positions. That is why it must be based on a transparent and objective methodology. One such tool is the Hirsch index. What factors hinder the growth of this indicator? Read more about this in our article.
Why do scientists need to increase their Hirsch index?
Hirsch index (h-index) – is a scientometric indicator that simultaneously takes into account the number of publications of a researcher and the number of their citations. In other words, a researcher must have n publications that have been cited at least n times. This index has become a universal tool for measuring the influence of scientists around the world.
The priority of almost every researcher is to increase this indicator. Does it really have a significant impact on a career? Absolutely yes. A high Hirsch index opens up many opportunities for scientists, including:
- successful obtaining of grants from national and international organisations
- appointment to prestigious academic positions
- invitation to international conferences as a speaker
- collaboration with reputable researchers and joint implementation of scientific projects
- high positions in international rankings (such as, for example, the National H-index Ranking)
However, there are often cases when, due to inattention or misunderstanding of the principles of increasing the Hirsch index, scientists make mistakes that prevent them from achieving their goal. At first glance, these inaccuracies may seem minor, but they can completely nullify all your efforts. Below, we will explain what you need to do to avoid them.
1. Focus on quantity rather than quality
Many researchers mistakenly believe that the most effective strategy for increasing the Hirsch index is to publish as many articles as possible in scientific journals. As a result, they publish dozens of materials in little-known journals, conference proceedings, or publications with questionable reputations.
Why is such a strategy losing? The point is that having a large number of publications will not affect the Hirsch index in any way if other researchers do not cite them. An article that no one reads and no one refers to is simply a line in a list, not a contribution to scientific reputation.
Conversely, one solid paper published in a Q1–Q2 journal with open access can collect significantly more citations than a dozen “quick” articles in low-ranking publications. Thus, the quality and visibility of a publication always outweigh the quantity when it comes to real growth of the h-index.
2. Journals with low scientometric indicators
The influence of a journal directly affects whether your article will be noticed by other scientists. If you choose a less popular publication with low indicators, be prepared that you will not receive many citations.
This does not mean that such journals are necessarily “bad”. Many of them are reputable publications with proper peer review and relevant topics. However, most researchers prefer authoritative journals read by scientists from all over the world. Therefore, an article in a little-known publication, even if it is of high quality, simply has fewer chances to gain wide recognition and be cited.
3. Duplicate author profiles
If a researcher’s profile in Google Scholar, Scopus or ORCID is incomplete or contains errors, the system may “lose” part of the citations, and the Hirsch index will not increase. This most often happens when, due to different spellings of the surname or initials, one person ends up with several separate records, and all citations are distributed between them instead of being collected in one place.
To avoid this, always write your surname and first name the same way. Indicate exactly the version that you will use in all articles. Also fill in all fields: place of work, email, full list of publications. Register an ORCID and link it to all platforms, as this is the most reliable way to control all publications. In addition, do not forget to regularly check your profile, add new articles, and verify that everything is calculated correctly.
4. Lack of publications in international co-authorship
Collaboration with colleagues within the same department or institute has obvious advantages: shared language, access to the same laboratory, no time zone differences. However, such publications do not always receive international recognition and often remain within the national academic community.
International co-authorship, on the contrary, is the most effective tool for increasing the global visibility of research. Each foreign co-author has their own audience that will be interested in the article. As a result, thanks to the combination of contact networks, a publication becomes visible to dozens of new research groups, which greatly increases the number of citations and accelerates the growth of the Hirsch index.
5. Lack of publications in open access journals
When choosing between open access and traditional access journals, researchers frequently prefer the latter because they do not require a publication fee from the author. However, an article in a traditional access journal is available only to subscribers, so scientists without a subscription or institutional access cannot read it. Because of the need to pay for each article, potential readers often choose more accessible alternatives, such as publications in open access journals, and the authors’ Hirsch index remains practically unchanged.
To avoid all the above factors and increase your Hirsch index, contact the company Scientific Publications. We will analyse your scientific profile and develop an individual strategy to improve this indicator. Would you like to receive a free consultation? Then fill out the form below, and our manager will contact you shortly. Together to the new scientific achievements!
