title: Citation-based Estimation of Scholarly Activity Among Domestic Academic Radiation Oncologists: Five-Year Update.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze up-to-date Hirsch index (h-index) data to estimate the scholarly productivity of academic radiation oncology faculty.
  
  
  METHODS
  Bibliometric citation database searches were performed for radiation oncology faculty at domestic residency-training institutions. Outcomes analyzed included the number of manuscripts, number of citations, andh-index between 1996 and 2012. Analyses of overallh-index rankings with stratification by academic ranking, gender, and departmental faculty size were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One thousand thirty-seven radiation oncologists from 87 programs were included. Overall, the meanh-index was 10.8. Among the top 10% byh-index, 38% were chairpersons, all were senior faculty, and 11% were women. As expected, higherh-index was associated with higher academic ranking and senior faculty status. Recursive partitioning analysis revealed anh-index threshold of 20 (p<0.001) as an identified breakpoint between senior vs. junior faculty. Furthermore,h-index breakpoints of 12 (p<0.001) and 25 (p<0.001) were identified between assistant professor vs. associate professor, and associate professor vs. professor levels, respectively. Multivariate analysis identified higher academic ranking, male gender, and larger departmental faculty size as independent variables associated with higherh-index.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current results suggest an overall rise in scholarly citation metrics among domestic academic radiation oncologists, with a current meanh-index of 10.8, vs. 8.5 in 2008. Significant relationships exist betweenh-index and academic rank, gender, and departmental size. The results offer up-to-date benchmarks for evaluating academic radiation oncologist to the national average and potentially has utility in the process of appointment and promotion decisions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL.
authors.forename: Mehee
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Emma B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Holliday
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
authors.forename: Reshma
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jagsi
authors.affiliation: Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.
authors.forename: Lynn D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL.
authors.forename: Clifton D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Fuller
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Medicine, Oregon Health Science Center Knight Cancer Institute, Portland, OR.
authors.forename: Charles R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Thomas
keywords: Academic productivity; Bibliometrics; H-index; Publications; Radiation Oncology