What is a good H-Index and i10-index for an early career researcher?
If you’re interested in going into a career in research, you will be working hard to build your research profile over the course of your Masters and PhD.
I’m sure you have heard of these two metrics, particularly if you have been able to create an academic profile on Google Scholar, ResearchGate or Academia.
The h-index and i10-index are metrics commonly used to assess the research productivity and impact of scholars. These metrics are based on the number of citations that a researcher’s publications receive.
Here’s a brief explanation of H-Index and i10-index
h-index: The h-index is a measure of both the productivity and citation impact of a researcher. An h-index of, for example, 10 means that a researcher has published at least 10 papers, each of which has been cited at least 10 times.
i10-index: The i10-index is a variant of the h-index that counts the number of publications that have received at least 10 citations.
A good H-index and i10-index after a PhD varies depending on the field of study, but in general, a researcher with an H-index of 3-5 and an i10-index of 2-4 is considered to be productive and well-respected. These numbers indicate that the researcher has published a number of highly cited papers.
This index can be different from field to field. Here is a table of average H-indices and i10-indices for early-stage and late-stage PhDs in different fields of study:
Field of Study |
Early-stage PhD (1-2 years) | Late-stage PhD (4+ years) |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering | 1-3 | 5-8 |
| Social Sciences | 1-2 | 3-5 |
| Humanities | 0-1 | 1-3 |
| Computer Science | 2-4 | 6-9 |
Of course, these are just averages, and there will always be outliers. Some researchers will have much higher H-indices and i10-indices than others, even within the same field of study.
This is because there are many factors that can affect a researcher’s bibliometric metrics, such as the quality of their research, the number of collaborators they work with, and the impact of the journals they publish in.
It is important to note that H-index and i10-index are not the only measures of a researcher’s productivity and impact. Other important factors include the researcher’s teaching record, their grant funding, and their service to the profession.
Overall, an H-index of 3-5 and an i10-index of 2-4 is a good indication that a researcher is productive and well-respected in their field of study. However, these numbers should not be used as the sole basis for evaluating a researcher’s work.
How easy do you think it is to have a good H- and i10-index as an African Researcher? Tell us in the comments below.
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