The pros and cons of computing the h‐index using Web of Science

The purpose of this paper, the fourth in a series, is to discuss the pros and cons of the h‐index in the Web of Science (WoS).

The paper looks at the content and software advantages and disadvantages of WoS from the perspective of calculating the h‐index as a single measure of published research output and influence at the individual researcher level.

The paper finds that there are notable similarities and differences between WoS and Scopus, and that any WoS edition has a unique and important feature. As opposed to other cited reference enhanced databases, WoS always includes all the cited references for every record created, irrespective of the publication year.

The paper provides insights into the advantages and disadvantages of WoS from the perspective of calculating the h‐index.