Qualifying Scholarly Impact using an iCX (impact-Citations-Exergy) Analysis

Abstract

A scholarly 'index of quality and productivity' (IQp) was proposed as a better alternative to the hindex. This was intended to overcome some of the limitations of the h-index. Other recent studies have shown that an indicator called the performance index (p-index) can also effectively combine size and quality of scientific papers. The curious structure of the p-index led to an energy-like term, X = iC = Pi 2 = C.(C/P), where, P is the number of papers, and i is a proxy for quality Q = C/P. The energy assessment technique (iCX audit for impact-Citations-Exergy) which emerges from this is seen to be a quick and simple tool for visualising the quality and productivity (size or quantity) of a scientist's oeuvre.