A Nationwide Study of Research Publication Impact of Faculty in U.S. Higher Education Doctoral Programs

Research impact is very important in academia. This study explored the research impact of faculty in doctoral higher education programs through the use of Hirsch’s h index as measured by Google Scholar results. Characteristics of the h index in this field are discussed, and norms are offered for professors of different ranks. We also explore relationships between gender, experience, and U.S. News and World Report ranking and the index. We find that gender has no significant relationship to faculty index in this field, but faculty experience and school rankings do have a relationship. Our findings support the use of the h index in assessing research impact in the higher education field, and they may be of interest to persons beyond this field as we consider the manner in which we assess faculty research.