Molinié A, Bodenhausen G. The kinship or k-index as an antidote against the toxic effects of h-index. CHEMIA International Journal for Chemistry 2011;65(6):433-436
(doi: 10.2533/chimia.2011.433)
According to the authors, the current fashion of ranking people, papers and journals is anything but harmless. They suggest to measure the “fertility” of individual researchers – with respect to their ability to foster quality – in terms of kinship (the k-index) rather than through personalized indices (the h-index). Scientific production is nourished by the past and is conveyed for the future advancement. A chart of elective kinship, produced through the transmission of scientific theory, methodology, know-how, competence, and even culture, could be then realized.
Thanks to Penny Hubbard