On the robustness of the h-index

TL;DR

The paper discusses the robustness of the h-index, highlighting its resilience to citation errors and its advantages over other metrics like impact factors for evaluating individuals and journals.

Contribution

It provides an analysis of the h-index's robustness and advocates for its use over impact factors due to its reliability and verifiability.

Findings

h-index remains stable despite citation errors

h-index is easier to verify than impact factors

robustness applies to both individuals and journals

Abstract

The h-index (Hirsch, 2005) is robust, remaining relatively unaffected by errors in the long tails of the citations-rank distribution, such as typographic errors that short-change frequently-cited papers and create bogus additional records. This robustness, and the ease with which h-indices can be verified, support the use of a Hirsch-type index over alternatives such as the journal impact factor. These merits of the h-index apply to both individuals and to journals.