What is the h-index?
The h-index is the largest number h such that you have h publications each cited at least h times.
The h-index is a single number that tries to capture both how much you publish and how often you are cited: it is the largest number h for which you have h publications that have each been cited at least h times. An h-index of 10 means you have 10 papers with at least 10 citations each.
The limits of the h-index
The h-index depends heavily on field and career length: it grows over time and is far higher in fast-citing fields, so it is not comparable across disciplines or between researchers at different stages. It also undervalues early-career work and can be inflated.
Should you put your h-index on a CV?
It is optional and field-dependent. If you include it, give context and pair it with field-normalized indicators rather than presenting it alone — and remember that DORA and the Leiden Manifesto discourage over-reliance on any single number. SigmaCV's metrics are opt-in and prefer field-normalized indicators.
Read: using metrics responsibly
Frequently asked questions
Is the h-index a good measure of research quality?
It is a rough proxy at best: it depends heavily on field and career length and is not comparable across disciplines. Field-normalized indicators are more defensible, and metrics should support, not replace, expert judgement.