Does Self-Citation Influence Quantitative Measures of Research Productivity Among Academic Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons?

PURPOSE: Quantitative measures of research productivity depend on the citation frequency of a publication. Citation-based metrics, such as the h-index (total number of publications h that have at least h citations), can be susceptible to self-citation, resulting in an inflated measure of research productivity. The purpose of the present study was to estimate the effect of self-citation on the h-index among academic oral and maxillofacial surgeons (OMSs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study was a cross-sectional study of full-time academic OMSs in the United States. The predictor variable was the frequency of self-citation. The primary outcome of interest was the h-index. Other study variables included demographic factors and citation metrics. Descriptive, bivariate, and regression statistics were computed. RESULTS: The study sample consisted of 325 full-time academic OMSs. Most surgeons were men (88.3%); approximately 40% had medical degrees. The study subjects had an average of 23.5 +/- 37.1 publications. The mean number of self-citations was 15 + 56. The sample's mean h-index was 6.6 +/- 7.6 and was associated with self-citation (r = 0.71, P < .001). Approximately 9% of subjects had a change in their h-index after removing self-citations. After adjusting for PhD degree, total number of publications, and academic rank, an increasing self-citation rate influenced the h-index (r = 0.006, P < .001). Surgeons with more than 14 self-citations were more likely to have their h-index influenced by self-citation. CONCLUSION: Self-citation among full-time academic OMSs does not substantially affect the h-index. Surgeons in the top quartile of self-citation rates are more likely to influence their h-index.