Abbreviations
E/SA: exclusive or single (E/S) author; FA: first author; h2-index: “Hirsch-Hu” (H-H) index; S&R: scholars & researchers.
Citation as a tool for scientific evaluation was first proposed by Eugene Garfield in 1950s.1 Currently, citation-based data are still used for scientific evaluation, and scientific contributions to research are mainly measured by a variety of indicators.2 For example, some quantitative parameters such as the number of publications, the impact factor of journals, the total number of citations, and/or the h-index,3 are used as metrics for the evaluation of the scientific performance of scholars and researchers (S&R) and institutions, and the h-index have the widespread application since it was proposed in 2005.
However, journalistic papers published in high impact scientific journals (Nature, Science, PNAS, Cell, BMJ, Lancet, JAMA or New England Journal of Medicine) can be very influential, especially in hot fields,4 even if those are both non-research papers and related authors. Herein, scientific platforms are important factors for high impact of S&R. Due to the fact that the results of large-scale clinical trials published in high impact journals can provide important reference and basis for relevant clinical practices, in fact, both the first author and corresponding author can receive a significant increase in scientific influence after the paper is published. For example, a series of studies on global life expectancy and risk factors.5-7 Therefore, not only innovations but also scientific platforms are important to the professional development of S&R.
According to recognized standards in the academic community, the h-index should be greater than their years of work experience for excellent S&R. Usually, the h-index is required to be above 25 in biomedical fields, while professors need to be above 18. However, this measure is not always objective or realistic in this field. In order to more accurately evaluate the scientific level and influence of S&R, an additional indicator should be considered, that is the number of first author (FA) and exclusive or single (E/S) author (E/SA) papers of any types,8 represented by the HFA-index. For example, if S&R’s h-index is 10 and they have published more than 50 FA (including E/SA) papers, their HFA-index score would be at least 60.
Currently, the h-index of S&R is widely used for scientific evaluation in scientific circles internationally. Actually, if the S&R supervise more students, the number of corresponding author papers will definitely increase. Since whoever wants to complete the studies and obtain master’s and/or doctoral degrees, they must publish at least two or three papers, it is important for their supervisors to be included as the corresponding authors. This will result in higher the h-index scores for the S&R-sponsored graduates, postgraduates, and fellows. Obviously, although the h-index is frequently used to measure the performance of S&R, there are indeed some limitations.
In fact, innovation should be the crucial contribution of a published work to the development of new knowledge and advancement of science,9 and S&R should be encouraged to make a great steps at innovations.10 Obviously, scientific publications focused on innovations by the FA (including E/SA) are a vital indicator, since innovations may forecast and embody the levels and abilities of S&R.11 Herein, instead of the h-index, novel indicators should be encouraged.12 As an innovative indicator for the real impact of S&R, the HFA-index covering the number of publications of any types from the FA (including E/SA), should be a new, vital, and better indicator for scientific evaluation of S&R.
Therefore, the HFA-index covering the number of FA (including E/SA) papers presents a more comprehensive scientific evaluation. These papers not only demonstrate the S&R’s writing abilities and scientific contributions, but also their independent and crucial innovations. In fact, the HFA-index is a more vital indicator for scientific evaluation. While the number of FA (including E/SA) papers may not always be large, the academic influence of S&R increases with each additional paper published. This is because the teams of corresponding authors are continuously outputting new research, thus increasing their influence over time.