Generalizing the h- and g- indices

We introduce two new measures of the performance of a scientist. One measure, referred to as the h(alpha)-index, generalizes the well-known h-index or Hirsch index. The other measure, referred to as the g(alpha)-index, generalizes the closely related g-index. We analyze theoretically the relationship between the h(alpha)-and g(alpha)-indices on the one hand and some simple measures of scientific performance on the other hand. We also study the behavior of the h(alpha)-and g(alpha)-indices empirically. Some advantages of the h(alpha)- and g(alpha)-indices over the h- and g-indices are pointed out. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.