H Index Calculator

Work out h index instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About H Index Calculator

The h-index is the largest h for which h papers each have at least h citations, so it is the smaller of the two figures entered. An h of 18 implies at least 324 citations. Dividing by career length gives the m quotient: Hirsch suggested m near 1 for a successful academic, 2 for outstanding and 3 for truly exceptional.

Formulas

h index

the largest h such that h papers each have h or more citations

m quotient

m = h index / years since first publication

Worked example

With the default values below, H Index Calculator returns h Index of 18. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Papers with at least this many citationsminimum 0: 18
That citation thresholdminimum 0: 18
Years since first publicationminimum 1: 12

Results

h Index: 18
m Quotient: 1.500
Minimum Citations Implied: 324
Career Trajectory: Successful researcher trajectory

Step by step

1Values used
2h index
3m quotient
4h Index= 18
5m Quotient= 1.500
6Minimum Citations Implied= 324
7Career Trajectory= Successful researcher trajectory

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 3 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 3 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the h-index popular?

Because it resists both a long tail of uncited papers and a single blockbuster, so it captures sustained impact better than raw counts.

What are its weaknesses?

It can never fall, disadvantages early-career researchers, ignores author order and cannot be compared across fields.