What is the Hirsch index and how to increase it?
The method of calculating the Hirsch index
There are several online tools that can help. For example, you can use Google Scholar citation search to track your citations, or use Scopus, which offers similar features. You can also use other services that track citations, such as Web of Science. In Scopus, it is enough to use the search by the author's last name in order to find the h-index.
Pros and cons of the H-index
As with all journal indicators, there are pros and cons to measuring a researcher's effectiveness. You may have already found some of them yourself.
Important Arguments The Hirsch Index is a convenient (and simple) way to compare researchers at the same career stages. This is especially useful for recruiters and people who are not from the same field as the researcher. Using the h-index can prevent researchers with a large number of low-impact publications from appearing more productive than those with fewer high-impact publications. This brings us to the second advantage. The Hirsch index is currently the only way to combine performance and impact in one metric.
One of the problems with the Hirsch index is that it cannot be used to compare researchers from different disciplines. They can also be manipulated unfairly. For example, you may have a group of researchers who often cite each other's work just to increase their h-index.
The H-index does not indicate whether the researcher was the sole author of the article or one of a large group. This means that someone's Hirsch index can be raised by a job that has nothing to do with it. Finally, the main disadvantage of the h index is that it tells us nothing about the science or ideas underlying the researcher's work.
How to increase the H-index?
There are many ways to increase the Hirsch index. Some of them are illegal or immoral. For example, frequent/inappropriate self-citation increases your Hirsch index, but it's not worth it.
1) The first author is the most famous
Research shows that articles with outstanding first authors are cited more often. Therefore, if you are just starting out, try to work with the most experienced researchers in this field.
2) Choose the journal carefully
Well-known and reputable journals attract more readers and are cited more often. Think about which journals to focus on at the beginning of the research process.
3) Publish in the public domain
Open access journals are cited more often. However, the choice of open access depends on the area. For example, there are several respected open access journals in the field of life sciences and medicine.
4) Think about your audience
Consider your readers when choosing a magazine. Your magazine is wide or narrow. More specialized journals are more often cited by researchers in the same field.
5) Networking
Attend as many conferences and meetings as possible. This allows you to promote your work and find like-minded people in your field of research.
6) SEO optimization
Most readers will find your article through a search engine. So it's worth thinking about promoting the article. Consider blogging about your work if you haven't already. In social networks such as Research Gate, Habr, on scientific forums, you can inform other researchers about you and your research. After active distribution by keywords in search queries, it will be easier to find your work.
Innovative Academy provides practical assistance in increasing your H-index. To apply: info@in-academy.uz https://t.me/RSC_admin +998935692306