The Hirsch index: more than a number?

In the current issue of the Netherlands Heart Journal, Opthof and Wilde [1] assessed the bibliometric parameters of 37 Dutch professors in clinical cardiology (of whom two have recently retired). These obtained data were largely based on the Hirsch index (h-index) and the authors calculated a top-10 for parameters such as first-authored papers, numbers of papers, number of citations, and the citations per year. Interestingly, they found no ‘golden’ parameter. The authors observed much heterogeneity in the used citation parameters and they found that an increase in the number of co-authors and the strategic network of a scientist played a dominant role in the ‘level’ of scientific productivity. It was concluded that citation analysis should always be applied with great care in science policy. …