2019/05/27 by Lutz Bornmann, Christian Ganser, Bornmann, Lutz +5
Computer Science · Decision Sciences · Economics, Econometrics and Finance · Physics and Astronomy · Social Sciences · #Complex Systems and Time Series Analysis #Digital Libraries (cs.DL) #Experimental Behavioral Economics Studies #FOS: Computer and information sciences #FOS: Physical sciences #Physics and Society (physics.soc-ph) #Sports Analytics and Performance #cs.DL #physics.soc-ph #scientometrics and bibliometrics research
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1905.11052
arxiv created 2019/05/27 · openalex publication_date 2019/05/27 · arxiv updated 2019/05/28 · openalex created_date 2022/07/29 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04
Recently, Hirsch (2019a) proposed a new variant of the h index called the hα index. He formulated as follows: "we define the hα index of a scientist as the number of papers in the h-core of the scientist (i.e. the set of papers that contribute to the h-index of the scientist) where this scientist is the α-author" (p. 673). The hα index was criticized by Leydesdorff, Bornmann, and Opthof (2019). One of their most important points is that the index reinforces the Matthew effect in science. We address this point in the current study using a recently developed Stata command (hindex) and R package (hindex), which can be used to simulate h index and hαindex applications in research evaluation. The user can investigate under which conditions hα reinforces the Matthew effect. The results of our study confirm what Leydesdorff et al. (2019) expected: the hα index reinforces the Matthew effect. This effect can be intensified if strategic behavior of the publishing scientists and cumulative advantage effects are additionally considered in the simulation.