Exploratory factor analysis for the Hirsch index, 17 h-type variants, and some traditional bibliometric indicators

The purpose of this article is to come up with a valid categorization and to examine the performance and properties of a wide range of h-type indices presented recently in the relevant literature. By exploratory factor analysis (EFA) we study the relationship between the h-index, its variants, and some standard bibliometric indicators of 26 physicists compiled from the Science Citation Index in the Web of Science.

► Categorization of Hirsch-type indices by factor analysis. ► Distinction of quality and quantity dimension. ► Significant extension of previous analysis which comprised only 7 indices. ► Analyzing in particular the categorization of Egghe's g-index.