Scientometrics
Volume/Issue:
Volume 88: Issue 3
Central indexes to the citation distribution: a complement to the h-index
Authors:
Pablo Dorta-González Departamento de Métodos Cuantitativos en Economía y Gestión, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Gran Canaria, Spain

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and
María-Isabel Dorta-González Departamento de Estadística, Investigación Operativa y Computación, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain isadorta@ull.es

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Pages:
729–745
Online Publication Date:
23 Jul 2011
Publication Date:
01 Sep 2011
Article Category:
Research Article
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-011-0453-3
Keywords:
h-index; Citation analysis; Bibliometric indexes; Research career evaluation; 62-07 Data analysis
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Abstract

The citation distribution of a researcher shows the impact of their production and determines the success of their scientific career. However, its application in scientific evaluation is difficult due to the bi-dimensional character of the distribution. Some bibliometric indexes that try to synthesize in a numerical value the principal characteristics of this distribution have been proposed recently. In contrast with other bibliometric measures, the biases that the distribution tails provoke, are reduced by the h-index. However, some limitations in the discrimination among researchers with different publication habits are presented in this index. This index penalizes selective researchers, distinguished by the large number of citations received, as compared to large producers. In this work, two original sets of indexes, the central area indexes and the central interval indexes, that complement the h-index to include the central shape of the citation distribution, are proposed and compared.

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Cover Scientometrics
Scientometrics
Print ISSN:
0138-9130
Online ISSN:
1588-2861

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Scientometrics
Language English
Size B5
Year of
Foundation		 1978
Volumes
per Year		 1
Issues
per Year		 12
Founder Akadémiai Kiadó
Founder's
Address		 H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245.
Publisher Akadémiai Kiadó
Springer Nature Switzerland AG
Publisher's
Address		 H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245.
CH-6330 Cham, Switzerland Gewerbestrasse 11.
Responsible
Publisher		 Chief Executive Officer, Akadémiai Kiadó
ISSN 0138-9130 (Print)
ISSN 1588-2861 (Online)

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