A measure developed by Jorge E. Hirsch to help quantify the output of a particular researcher.
An author has an h-index of n if they have published n papers, each of which has been cited at least n times.
Example: For Dr Smith to have an H-index of 10, 10 of her papers must have been cited at least 10 times.
Like all metrics, there are pros and cons to using the H-index. On the one hand it is not increased by a large number of poorly cited papers, or skewed by a single very well-cited paper.
Issues include:
For Hirsch's paper introducing the H-index, see See J. E. Hirsch
An index to quantify an individual's scientific research output. PNAS 2005 102 (46) 16569-16572.
1. Go to Web of Science. Note that this database can also be accessed from the LibrarySearch Databases list.
2. Select Web of Science Core Collection under All databases.
3. Enter your last name and initial. e.g. 'smith e', and choose Author from the drop-down tab and then click Search.
4. Click Create Citation Report at the top right. You will see an overview of citations including h-index.
You can check the list underneath the graphs and use the check boxes to remove publications which are not related to you (see video below).
Watchpoints: Have you published under different names or initials, or has your name changed? If so, make sure you search under all the different options. Note that different databases have different coverage.
If you have a common name or have used more than one name, in Step 3 choose the Author dropdown and then Select from Index to find your name in the index or add more than one to your search if required.