Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A new parameter for (normalized) evaluation of H-index: countries as a case study

  • Published:
Scientometrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

It is known that the H-indexes of individuals, research groups, institutions, scientific journals, and countries strongly depend on the field of study, slowly increase with the number of publications, N, and can be described by empirical power-law functions of the type H = C × Na (C and a are constants and depend on the specific field being analyzed). In this paper, we use this function and propose a new index [Montazerian–Zanotto–Eckert (MZE)], which is normalized by the number of publications and typically varies from − 1 to + 1, to characterize the relative standing of a research group, institution, or author to those of his/her peer groups. Due to the rich statistics available, as an example, here we analyzed and tested the new parameter against the citation-related performance (H-index) of countries. We found that the MZE index readily distinguishes between countries that stand above or below the average (for any given number of publications). Generally, publications of countries with a positive MZE index are more interesting or visible than the average. Analyzing publication output in this manner instead of the H-index allows for a less biased comparison between researchers, journals, universities, or countries for any particular combination of H-index and publication output.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alonso, S., Cabrerizo, F. J., Herrera-Viedma, E., & Herrera, F. (2009). H-index: A review focused in its variants, computation and standardization for different scientific fields. Journal of Informetrics, 3(4), 273–289.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Babić, D., Kutlača, Đ., Živković, L., Štrbac, D., & Semenčenko, D. (2016). Evaluation of the quality of scientific performance of the selected countries of Southeast Europe. Scientometrics, 106(1), 405–434.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Braun, T., Glänzel, W., & Schubert, A. (2006). A Hirsch-type index for journals. Scientometrics, 69(1), 169–173.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Csajbok, E., Berhidi, A., Vasas, L., & Schubert, A. (2007). Hirsch-index for countries based on Essential Science Indicators data. Scientometrics, 73(1), 91–117.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dutta, S., Lanvin, B., & Sacha Wunsch-Vincent, S. (Eds.). (2017). The Global Innovation Index 2017: Innovation Feeding the World. New York: Cornell University, INSEAD, WIPO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Editorial. (2005). Not-so-deep impact. Nature, 435(7045), 1003–7431.

    Google Scholar 

  • Egghe, L. (2006). Theory and practice of the g-index. Scientometrics, 69(1), 131–152.

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Egghe, L. (2010). The Hirsch index and related impact measures. Annual Review of Information Science and Technology, 44(1), 65–114.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Egghe, L., & Rousseau, R. (2006). An informetric model for the Hirsch index. Scientometrics, 69(1), 121–129.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Glänzel, W. (2006). On the H-index—A mathematical approach to a new measure of publication activity and citation impact. Scientometrics, 67(2), 315–321.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Glänzel, W., & Zhang, L. (2018). Scientometric research assessment in the developing world: A tribute to Michael J. Moravcsik from the perspective of the twenty-first century. Scientometrics, 115(3), 1517–1532.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guan, J., & Gao, X. (2008). Comparison and evaluation of Chinese research performance in the field of bioinformatics. Scientometrics, 75(2), 357–379.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hirsch, J. E. (2005). An index to quantify an individual’s scientific research output. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 102(46), 16569–16572.

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Hirsch, J. E., & Buela-Casal, G. (2014). The meaning of the H-index. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 14, 161–164.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Iglesias, J. E., & Pecharromán, C. (2007). Scaling the H-index for different scientific ISI fields. Scientometrics, 73(3), 303–320.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ioannidis, J. P. A., Boyack, K., & Wouters, P. F. (2016). Citation metrics: A primer on how (not) to normalize. PLoS Biology, 14(9), e1002542.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jacsó, P. (2009). The H-index for countries in Web of Science and Scopus. Online Information Review, 33(4), 831–837.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jin, B., & Rousseau, R. (2005). China’s quantitative expansion phase: Exponential growth but low impact. In Proceedings of ISSI 2005: 10th International Conference of the International Society for Scientometrics and Informetrics (Vol. 1, pp. 362–370).

  • King, D. A. (2004). The scientific impact of nations. Nature, 430(6997), 311–316.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meneghini, R., & Packer, A. L. (2006). Articles with authors affiliated to Brazilian institutions published from 1994 to 2003 with 100 or more citations: II—Identification of thematic nuclei of excellence in Brazilian science. Anais Da Academia Brasileira De Ciencias, 78(4), 855–883.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Molinari, J. F., & Molinari, A. (2008). A new methodology for ranking scientific institutions. Scientometrics, 75, 163–174.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Montazerian, M., Zanotto, E. D., & Eckert, H. (2017). Bibliometrics in glass and other sciences: A Plea for reason. International Journal of Applied Glass Science, 8(3), 352–359.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moravcsik, M. J. (1985). Applied scientometrics: An assessment methodology for developing countries. Scientometrics, 7(3–6), 165–176.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Norris, M., & Oppenheim, C. (2010). The H-index: A broad review of a new bibliometric indicator. Journal of Documentation, 66(5), 681–705.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Panaretos, J., & Malesios, C. (2009). Assessing scientific research performance and impact with single indices. Scientometrics, 81(3), 635–670.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prathap, G. (2006). Hirsch-type indices for ranking institutions’ scientific research output. Current Science, 91(11), 1439.

    Google Scholar 

  • Prathap, G. (2010). An iCE map approach to evaluate performance and efficiency of scientific production of countries. Scientometrics, 85, 185–191.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Redner, S. (1998). How popular is your paper? An empirical study of the citation distribution. European Physical Journal B, 4(2), 131–134.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schubert, A., & Glänzel, W. (2007). A systematic analysis of Hirsch-type indices for journals. Journal of Informetrics, 1(2), 179–184.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • SCImago, (2018). SJR—SCImago Journal & Country Rank [Portal]. Retrieved February 4, 2018, from http://www.scimagojr.com.

  • Taylor, M., Perakakis, P., & Trachana, V. (2008). The siege of science. Ethics in Science and Environmental Politics, 8(1), 17–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van Leeuwen, T. N., Moed, H. F., Tijssen, R. J., Visser, M. S., & Van Raan, A. F. J. (2001). Language biases in the coverage of the Science Citation Index and its consequences for international comparisons of national research performance. Scientometrics, 51(1), 335–346.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van Raan, A. F. J. (2006). Statistical properties of bibliometric indicators: Research group indicator distributions and correlations. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 57(3), 408–430.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van Raan, A. F. J., Van Leeuwen, T. N., & Visser, M. S. (2011). Severe language effect in university rankings: Particularly Germany and France are wronged in citation-based rankings. Scientometrics, 88(2), 495–498.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Waltman, L. (2016). A review of the literature on citation impact indicators. Journal of Informetrics, 10(2), 365–391.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Waltman, L., & Van Eck, N. J. (2012). The inconsistency of the H-index. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 63(2), 406–415.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wildgaard, L., Schneider, J. W., & Larsen, B. (2014). A review of the characteristics of 108 author-level bibliometric indicators. Scientometrics, 101(1), 125–158.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu, R. (2004). Making an impact. Nature, 428(6979), 206–207.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ye, F. Y. (2011). A unification of three models for the H-index. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 62(1), 205–220.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zanotto, E. D. (2002). Scientific and technological development in Brazil. The widening gap. Scientometrics, 55(3), 411–419.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zanotto, E. D. (2006). The scientists pyramid. Scientometrics, 69(1), 175–181.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou, P., & Leydesdorff, L. (2006). The emergence of China as a leading nation in science. Research Policy, 35(1), 83–104.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP, # 2013/07793-6) - CEPID/CeRTEV - for financial support of this work and the post-doctoral fellowship granted to Maziar Montazerian (# 2015/13314-9).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials Engineering (DEMa), Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, SP, 13.565-905, Brazil

    Maziar Montazerian & Edgar Dutra Zanotto

  2. Center for Research, Technology and Education in Vitreous Materials (CeRTEV), Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, SP, 13.565-905, Brazil

    Maziar Montazerian, Edgar Dutra Zanotto & Hellmut Eckert

  3. Institute of Physics, São Carlos, University of São Paulo, São Carlos, SP, 13.560-970, Brazil

    Hellmut Eckert

Authors
  1. Maziar Montazerian
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Edgar Dutra Zanotto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Hellmut Eckert
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Edgar Dutra Zanotto.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Montazerian, M., Zanotto, E.D. & Eckert, H. A new parameter for (normalized) evaluation of H-index: countries as a case study. Scientometrics 118, 1065–1078 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-018-2996-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-018-2996-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation