Research on the Characteristics of Knowledge Diffusion of Seminal H-Index Papers

The diffusion of h-index papers in the field of scientific knowledge was investigated by retrieving 3679 papers that cited the h-index from the Web of Science's SCI/SSCI core database.With using Histcite, Pajek, and VOSviewer software, this paper measures the knowledge diffusion over the last 16 years using indicators in three dimensions: the time and space diffusion, the diffusion indicators, and the main path of the top 30 cited papers on h-index. The knowledge diffusion index, keyword co-occurrence, and main path analysis methods are used. The results show that h-index papers have been continuously cited and spread to 96 countries and regions, including the United States, China, Spain and Germany. The University of Antwerp and the Max Planck Society are the primary research institutes, and most of the authors are from these institutions. The analysis of co-occurrence keywords shows that h-index diffusion was initially concentrated in bibliometrics, and has recently spread to other fields such as artificial intelligence. Through the path analysis of highly cited papers, this work can help researchers understand the current development trend of the h index better and provide guidance for new index innovation.