An entropy-based measure for the evolution of h index research

Deming Lin (), Tianhui Gong, Wenbin Liu and Martin Meyer
Additional contact information
Deming Lin: Dalian University of Technology
Tianhui Gong: University of Kent
Wenbin Liu: Beijing Normal University
Martin Meyer: University of Aberdeen

Scientometrics, 2020, vol. 125, issue 3, No 18, 2283-2298

Abstract: Abstract The h index has been comprehensively developed and diffusely applied following its initial proposal in 2005 by Jorge Hirsch. However, while the numbers of papers and authors measured continue to grow, it is not known whether such increases in quantity mean that the research itself is advancing. Accordingly, the present study sets out to establish an analysis method, based on the concept of entropy, with which to elucidate the evolution of the h index. The results suggest that there are four stages, as follows: the emerging stage, the preliminary growth stage, the real growth stage, and the maturity stage. Meanwhile, the research of the h index is found to be in flux, and it is concluded that further development of the metric will require profound theoretical achievements as well as embedded innovation, or else the evolution of the h index will decline following a shortened maturity stage.

Keywords: Entropy; h index; Evolution; Evaluation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11192-020-03712-1 Abstract (text/html)
Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:scient:v:125:y:2020:i:3:d:10.1007_s11192-020-03712-1

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.springer.com/economics/journal/11192

DOI: 10.1007/s11192-020-03712-1

Access Statistics for this article

Scientometrics is currently edited by Wolfgang Glänzel

More articles in Scientometrics from Springer, Akadémiai Kiadó
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().