Scientific output quality of 40 globally top-ranked medical researchers in the field of osteoporosis

SUMMARY: The study presents the research output of 40 globally top-ranked authors, publishing in the field of osteoporosis. Their h-index is compared with the Scientific Quality Index (SQI), a novel indicator. Using SQI, 92.5% of the authors changed their initial positions in the general ranking. SQI partially depends on bibliometric measures different from those influencing h-index and may be considered as an assessment tool, reflecting more objective, qualitative, rather than quantitative, features of individual scientific output. PURPOSE: The study approaches the research output of 40 globally top-ranked authors in the field of osteoporosis. METHODS: The assessed authors were identified in the Scopus database, using the key word “osteoporosis” and the h-index data, collected during the last decade (2008–2017). The data, concerning the scientific output, expressed by the h-index, were compared with a novel indicator of scientific quality—called the Scientific Quality Index (SQI). SQI is calculated according to the following formula: Parameter No. 1 + Parameter No. 2, where: Parameter No. 1 (the percent of papers cited ≥ 10 times) the number of papers cited ≥ 10 times (excluding self-citations and citations of all co-authors) is divided by the number of all the published papers (including the papers with no citation) × 100%, Parameter No. 2 (the mean number of citations per paper) the total number of citations (excluding self-citations and citations of all co-authors) divided by the number of all published papers (including papers with no citation). RESULTS: The following research output values were obtained: the citation index, 2483.6 ± 1348.7; the total number of papers, 75.1 ± 23.2; the total number of cited papers, 69.3 ± 22.0; the number of papers cited, at least, 10 times, 45.4 ± 17.2; the percent of papers cited, at least, 10 times, 59.9 ± 10.0; and the mean citations per paper, 32.8 ± 15.0. The mean value of Hirsch index was 24.2 ± 6.2 and SQI 92.7 ± 22.3. Using SQI, only three authors did not change their initial ranking position, established according to the h-index; 18 authors noted a decrease, while other 19 improved their initial ranking position. The h-index correlated with SQI; r = 0.72; p < 0.0001. CONCLUSION: Qualitative features of scientific output, reflected by SQI, have changed the classification of 92.5% of authors. SQI may be considered as an assessment tool which is more strongly determined by qualitative than quantitative features of individual scientific output.