Measuring the continuous research impact of a researcher: The Kz index

TL;DR

The paper introduces the Kz index, a new metric that measures the continuous research impact of researchers by considering publication impact and age, offering a more nuanced evaluation than traditional metrics.

Contribution

The study proposes and demonstrates the Kz index as a novel metric for assessing ongoing research impact, addressing limitations of existing measures like h-index.

Findings

Kz scores vary independently of h-index.

Kz follows a log-normal distribution.

Kz can identify impactful researchers overlooked by citation counts.

Abstract

The ongoing discussion regarding the utilization of individual research performance for academic hiring, funding allocation, and resource distribution has prompted the need for improved metrics. While traditional measures such as total publications, citations count, and the h-index provide a general overview of research impact, they fall short of capturing the continuous contribution of researchers over time. To address this limitation, we propose the implementation of the Kz index, which takes into account both publication impact and age. In this study, we calculated Kz scores for 376 research profiles. Kz reveals that the researchers with the same h-index can exhibit different Kz scores, and vice versa. Furthermore, we observed instances where researchers with lower citation counts obtained higher Kz scores, and vice versa. Interestingly, the Kz metric follows a log-normal distribution. It highlights its potential as a valuable tool for ranking researchers and facilitating informed decision-making processes. By measuring the continuous research impact, we enable fair evaluations, enhance decision-making processes, and provide focused career advancement support and funding opportunities.