Abstract
Objectives: The h-index is a measure of research output and
contribution that shows strong correlation with academic promotion in
medicine. The purpose of this paper is to clearly explain how h-index
scores are calculated and how otolaryngologists can effectively and
advantageously use these scores for their career development.
Design: We performed an up-to-date PubMed literature review
describing the design of h-index and how to use it effectively along
with its role in academic medicine including otolaryngology.
Results: H-index scores are used as a metric for scientific
output which considers the number of publications and the number of
times each paper was cited. Search engines can automatically calculate
h-index scores for one’s work. Studies also revealed significant
positive impacts h-index has from fellowship involvement which later
translates to career advancement in academic medicine. Aspiring academic
otolaryngologists should create a research profile to link and calculate
h-index for publications, submit to well-read high impact journals for
increased viewership and citations, and expand on foundational and
personal research topics.
Conclusions: Future studies should evaluate faculty and resident
awareness of h-indices in the otolaryngology department to see how we
can further address any underlying barriers. Otolaryngologists with the
knowledge and tools necessary to maximize h-index scores and to produce
high quality research in modern day medicine not only provides
advantages in career development, but also brings significant
contribution to the field of otolaryngology.