I am PhD candidate in environmental sociology and currently waiting for the viva voce examination that will be expected in December 2022. I just would like to know, what is a good or minimum h-index for Scopus that we can say is a baseline for PhD graduates to be eligible to apply for senior lecturer/ academician post in university?
Dear Mohamad Syahrul Nizam Ibrahim In general this is virtually impossible to say. I depends on numerous variables, think of:
-Difference between the various disciplines
-Differences between countries (and between different universities)
-Other criteria than H-index. I see here on RG that in some countries it depends on number of publications in Scopus and/or papers in journals with an impact factor
-Etc.
I found a source that not looked at number of publications but indeed to the closely related metric the h-index (for the source, more info, and criticism: https://www.aacc.org/cln/articles/2019/september/scientific-impact-and-the-h-index).
They studied your question and they found “A colleague and I surveyed typical values for academic physicians in 14 medical specialties (Am J Clin Pathol 2019;151:286-91). We found that, on average, assistant professors have an h-index of 2-5, associate professors 6-10, and full professors 12-24. These are mean or median values only—the distribution of values at each rank is very wide. If you hope to win a Nobel Prize, your h-index should be at least 35 and preferably closer to 70.”
But this is only studied in the field of medicine. In general I hope that selection is based on more than just counting numbers (publications, citations, etc.).
Best regards.
Mohamad Syahrul Nizam Ibrahim
There is no set "good" H-index for PhD candidates in social sciences as it varies depending on the field, the stage of the candidate's career, and the type of research they conduct.
That said, a good H-index can be considered one that is above the average for their field and discipline. According to a 2019 study of H-indices in the social sciences, the median H-index for PhDs in social sciences is around 8, with a range of 2 to 21 depending on the specific field of study. However, it's important to note that H-indices can vary greatly depending on the individual's specific research focus, publication output, and citation practices within their field.
Ultimately, while H-index can be a useful metric for evaluating scholarly impact, it should not be the only metric used to assess the research of PhD candidates. It's important to consider a variety of factors, including the quality of their research publications, their contribution to the field, and their potential for future impact.
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