Stability discussions on some h-type indexes

Abstract

The h-index, proposed in 2005, is very popular in the literature and in real-world applications, due to its simplicity and to the importance of measuring scientific impact. Many studies have proposed new indexes with similar characteristics, known as h-type indexes, whose purpose is to overcome certain disadvantages of the original index. This paper studies a few of these indexes that increase the h-index’s sensitivity to frequently cited publications, namely the g, A, R and the recently proposed Ψ-index. First, we compare the indexes’ responses to increases in the level of academic production, considering a real case study. Moreover, we analyze the indexes’ stability, when the citation distribution varies. For a better understanding of the indexes’ reactions to such changes, we compare them to the p and z indexes.