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Visualization of rank-citation curves for fast detection of h-index anomalies in university metrics

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  • Serhii Nazarovets

    (Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University)

Abstract

University rankings, despite facing criticism, continue to maintain their popularity. In the 2023 Scopus Ranking of Ukrainian Universities, certain institutions stood out due to their high h-index, despite modest publication and citation numbers. This phenomenon can be attributed to influential research topics or involvement in international collaborative research. However, these results may also be due to the authors’ own efforts to increase the number of citations of their publications in order to improve their h-index. To investigate this, the publications from the top 30 universities in the ranking were analysed, revealing humpback rank-citation curves for two universities. These humpbacks indicate unusual trends in the citation data, especially considering the high percentage of self-citations and FWCI of analysed papers. While quantitative analysis has limitations, the combination of humped rank-citation curves, self-citations, FWCI, and previous research findings raises concerns about the possible causes of these anomalies in the citation data of the analysed universities. The method presented in this paper can aid ranking compilers and citation databases managers in identifying potential instances of citation data anomalies, emphasizing the importance of expert assessment for accurate conclusions.

Suggested Citation

  • Serhii Nazarovets, 2024. "Visualization of rank-citation curves for fast detection of h-index anomalies in university metrics," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 129(1), pages 705-711, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:129:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1007_s11192-023-04886-0
    DOI: 10.1007/s11192-023-04886-0
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Juan E. Iglesias & Carlos Pecharromán, 2007. "Scaling the h-index for different scientific ISI fields," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 73(3), pages 303-320, December.
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    3. Ludo Waltman & Nees Jan van Eck, 2012. "The inconsistency of the h‐index," Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 63(2), pages 406-415, February.
    4. Serhii Nazarovets, 2022. "Ukraine approves National Plan for Open Science," Nature, Nature, vol. 611(7935), pages 236-236, November.
    5. Elizabeth Gadd, 2020. "University rankings need a rethink," Nature, Nature, vol. 587(7835), pages 523-523, November.
    6. Ludo Waltman & Nees Jan van Eck, 2012. "The inconsistency of the h-index," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 63(2), pages 406-415, February.
    7. Iman Tahamtan & Askar Safipour Afshar & Khadijeh Ahamdzadeh, 2016. "Factors affecting number of citations: a comprehensive review of the literature," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 107(3), pages 1195-1225, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Myroslava Hladchenko, 2025. "Ukrainian universities in QS World University Rankings: when the means become ends," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 130(2), pages 969-997, February.

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