Comparative study of four impact measures and qualitative conclusions

We present a comparative study of four impact measures: the h-index, the g-index, the R-index and the j-index. The g-index satisfies the transfer principle, the j-index satisfies the opposite transfer principle while the h- and R-indices do not satisfy any of these principles. We study general inequalities between these measures and also determine their maximal and minimal values, given a fixed total number of citations.

► Four indices (the h-index, the g-index, the R-index and the j-index) are compared. ► The j-index has opposite properties when compared with the g-index in terms of transfer principles. ► Inequalities between these indices are proved. ► The minimum and maximum values of these indices are calculated.