Citation & h-index Estimator
Paste your per-paper citation counts to get your h-index, i10-index, and total, mean, and peak citations — the numbers that turn up on fellowship and job applications.
Your citation metrics
The h-index is the largest number h for which h of your papers each have at least h citations. It’s only as current and complete as the list you paste — Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar all count citations differently, so the same researcher can have three different h-indexes.
Your citation record at a glance
Sooner or later a fellowship form, a job application, or a progress report asks for your h-index. Rather than hunt across databases, paste the citation counts you already have and this tool computes the h-index and its companions in one place — the same definitions the major indexes use.
Because you supply the list, you can model scenarios too: see how one more well-cited paper, or a batch of new citations, would move the numbers — and understand exactly what the metric is measuring.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the h-index?
The h-index is the largest number h for which you have at least h papers each cited at least h times. An h-index of 10 means ten of your papers have ten or more citations apiece. It rewards a body of consistently cited work over a single blockbuster paper, which is why it's so widely quoted.
How do I use the calculator?
Paste the citation count of each of your papers into the box — separated by commas, spaces, or new lines, in any order. The tool sorts them, finds the h-index, and also reports your i10-index, total citations, paper count, most-cited paper, and mean citations per paper.
What is the i10-index?
The i10-index is simply the number of your papers with at least ten citations. Popularised by Google Scholar, it's easier to interpret than the h-index and useful alongside it — but like any single number it flattens a lot of nuance about where and why the work is cited.
Why do I get different numbers on Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science?
Each database indexes a different set of journals, conferences, books, and preprints, and counts citations only from within its own coverage. Google Scholar casts the widest net (and can double-count), while Scopus and Web of Science are more selective. The same researcher can genuinely have three different h-indexes as a result.
Should I judge my research by its h-index?
Cautiously. The h-index favours older researchers and heavily cited fields, ignores author order and contribution, and can't compare across disciplines with different citation cultures. It's one crude signal among many — treat it as a rough summary, not a verdict on the quality or importance of your work.
An estimate from the numbers you enter — only as current and complete as your list. Databases count citations differently, so the same researcher can have several valid h-indexes. Use it as one signal, not a verdict.