Assessing academic productivity of U.S. otolaryngology departments using the h(5) index

OBJECTIVES: We aim to examine the h(5) index of U.S. otolaryngology programs to help assess current academic productivity. METHODS: A total of 116 otolaryngology departments with residency programs were included. Our primary outcome was the h(5) index, calculated cumulatively for faculty MDs, DOs, and PhDs within the department. Audiologists and clinical adjunct faculty were excluded. This was calculated over a 5-year period (2015–2019) using Elsevier’s database SCOPUS. Faculty affiliation within SCOPUS was confirmed by cross-referencing department websites. The h(5) indices were calculated and then correlated with other publication metrics, including total publications by department and publications in major otolaryngology journals. RESULTS: The h(5) index was highly correlated positively with other metrics of academic productivity, including total publications and publications in top 10 otolaryngology journals. Greater variability in data was noted as the h(5) index increased. Similar trends were observed when the h(5) was compared to the number of residents accepted per year. Rankings of departments by Doximity and US News and World Report were positively correlated with h(5) though they remained weaker when compared to other correlations. CONCLUSIONS: h(5) indices are a valuable tool to objectively assess academic productivity for otolaryngology residency departments. They are a better indicator of academic productivity than national rankings.