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Application of the h-Index in Academic Plastic Surgery
Paul J Therattil1, Ian C Hoppe, Mark S Granick
1From the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ.
Insights
The h-index of plastic surgeons correlates with academic rank, with higher indices seen in integrated programs and larger faculty sizes. This metric shows potential for measuring academic productivity in plastic surgery.
Area of Science:
- Medical research
- Academic metrics
- Plastic surgery
Background:
- The h-index quantifies academic output and impact.
- Assessing its utility in plastic surgery is crucial for understanding academic contributions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between plastic surgeons' h-index and academic rank.
- To analyze h-index variations based on training model, sex, region, faculty size, and departmental status.
Main Methods:
- Compiled a database of US academic plastic surgeons.
- Collected data on academic rank, sex, and program characteristics.
- Queried Scopus to determine each surgeon's h-index.
Main Results:
- Mean h-index was 8.97 across 592 surgeons.
- H-index significantly increased with academic rank (Assistant, Associate, Professor).
- Integrated programs (9.64) and larger programs showed higher h-indices than traditional (6.28) and smaller ones, respectively. Male surgeons had higher h-indices (9.57 vs. 6.07), though this was not significant when controlling for other variables. No correlation found with location or departmental status.
Conclusions:
- The h-index correlates with academic rank in plastic surgery.
- It serves as a potential tool for measuring academic productivity.
- Integrated programs, larger faculty, and male surgeons tend to have higher h-indices, with sex differences potentially explained by positional distribution.
Background:
The h-index is a measure designed to assess the quantity and significance of an individual's academic contributions. The objective of this study was to determine whether the h-index of plastic surgeons correlates with academic rank and whether there is a difference based on academic rank, residency training model, sex, geographic region, faculty size, and departmental status.
Methods:
A database of all US academic plastic surgeons was created. The rank and sex of each surgeon were obtained, as were characteristics of their plastic surgery program. The Scopus database was queried to determine each surgeon's h-index.
Results:
The 592 plastic surgeons in our database had a mean h-index of 8.97. The h-index increased with academic rank: 4.59 for assistant professors, 9.10 for associate professors, and 15.30 for professors. There was no significant difference in the h-index between chairpersons and chiefs. Plastic surgeons on faculty in integrated plastic surgery programs had significantly higher h-indices (9.64) than those at traditional programs (6.28). Those who were on faculty at larger programs also had higher h-indices. Male plastic surgeons had higher h-indices (9.57) than did female plastic surgeons (6.07), although this was insignificant when taking other variables into account. There was no correlation between the h-index and location or departmental status.
Conclusions:
The h-index of plastic surgeons seems to correlate with academic rank and has potential as a tool to measure academic productivity within plastic surgery. Plastic surgeons on faculty in integrated plastic surgery programs, those at larger programs, and male plastic surgeons tend to have higher h-indices. The difference between sexes seems to be, at least in part, due to the higher number of men in high academic positions. There does not seem to be a regional difference with regard to h-indices or a difference with regard to departmental status.
