The
g-index is a metric that aims to improve upon the
h-index by giving more weight to highly-cited articles. It was proposed by Leo Egghe in 2006. While the h-index balances both the quantity and impact of a researcher's publications, the g-index emphasizes their most frequently cited works. For an index of g, the top g articles together have at least g2 citations.
The h-index is limited in that it does not account for the excess citations of highly cited papers beyond the threshold of h. In contrast, the g-index takes into consideration the cumulative impact of an author's top-cited papers. This makes the g-index particularly useful in fields like
catalysis, where breakthrough papers can attract significantly more citations.
Catalysis research often involves the discovery of new
catalysts or catalytic processes that can revolutionize industries. High-impact papers in this field can receive a large number of citations, reflecting their significant contributions. The g-index allows for a better understanding of a researcher's influence by emphasizing the importance of these high-impact works.
To calculate the g-index, follow these steps:
1. Order a researcher's publications in descending order based on citation count.
2. Calculate the cumulative number of citations for the top n papers.
3. Identify the largest number g such that the top g papers have at least g2 citations in total.
For example, if the top 3 papers have a combined total of at least 9 citations, the g-index would be 3.
1.
Comprehensive Impact: By considering the total citation count of top papers, the g-index provides a more comprehensive measure of a researcher's impact.
2.
Recognition of High-Impact Work: The g-index highlights the importance of high-impact publications, which are common in the field of catalysis due to groundbreaking discoveries.
3.
Balanced Evaluation: It balances the need to recognize both productivity and significant contributions, which is particularly important in multidisciplinary fields like catalysis.
1.
Complexity: The calculation of the g-index is more complex compared to the h-index, which might make it less intuitive for some users.
2.
Overemphasis on Highly Cited Papers: While it highlights high-impact papers, it may overemphasize them at the expense of a broader range of work.
3.
Field Variability: Citation practices can vary significantly between different fields, making cross-disciplinary comparisons challenging.
Conclusion
The g-index is a valuable metric for evaluating the impact of research in catalysis, offering a nuanced view that recognizes the significance of highly-cited papers. While it has its limitations, its ability to highlight the contributions of groundbreaking research makes it an important tool for researchers, institutions, and policymakers in the field of catalysis.