A Researcher's Guide to the i10-index: What It Is and How to Improve Your Google Scholar Score

In the world of academia, metrics matter. While the h-index is often treated as the gold standard for measuring a researcher's long-term impact, Google Scholar provides another, simpler metric that offers a different kind of insight: the i10-index.

For many researchers, this number is a straightforward, transparent measure of their sustained productivity and influence. This guide will break down exactly what the i10-index is, how it compares to the h-index, and provide actionable strategies to improve your score.

What is the i10-index? A Crystal-Clear Definition

The definition of the i10-index is refreshingly simple:

The i10-index is the total number of publications an author has that have received at least 10 citations.

That's it. It’s a simple, unweighted count.

• If you have 8 papers with 11 citations and 20 papers with 9 citations, your i10-index is 8.

• If you have 15 papers, and every single one has at least 10 citations, your i10-index is 15.

• A paper with 500 citations counts the same as a paper with 10 citations—they both count as "1" toward your i10-index.

This metric is exclusively used by Google Scholar and is automatically calculated for any public author profile. Its primary value is its simplicity. It answers one question: "How many of this person's papers have made at least a minor impact (i.e., been cited 10 times)?"

i10-index vs. h-index: What's the Difference?

• h-index: This is a more complex measure of both quantity and quality. An h-index of 12 means you have 12 papers that have been cited at least 12 times. It's a balance.

• i10-index: This is a simple count. It measures the breadth of your "solidly-performing" work, not just your top-tier "hits."

A high i10-index demonstrates a consistent ability to produce work that is regularly cited by the academic community.

How to Improve Your i10-index: 5 Actionable Strategies

Improving your i10-index has a clear goal: get more of your papers over the "10 citation" finish line. This is often a more achievable short-term goal than increasing your h-index.

1. The "Technical Fix": Clean and Merge Your Profile

This is the fastest "win" you can get. Go to your Google Scholar profile right now and look for:

• Duplicates: Google Scholar often creates separate entries for a preprint (e.g., on arXiv) and the final published journal version. If the preprint has 5 citations and the journal version has 6, they are two separate entries. By merging them, you create one single entry with 11 citations, and your i10-index instantly goes up by one.

• Missing Articles: Make sure every paper you've published is correctly "claimed" and linked to your profile. Don't leave any orphaned publications.

2. Identify Your "On-the-Cusp" Papers

This is your most important strategy. Sort your publications by "Citations" and find all your papers with 6 to 9 citations. These are your "low-hanging fruit." Your goal is to get these papers a few more citations.

How do you promote them?

• Share Them: Post a "throwback" on LinkedIn, ResearchGate, or X (formerly Twitter), reminding your network of this relevant work.

• Present Them: Use a slide from that paper in your next conference presentation or lecture.

• Cite Them (Ethically): In your new manuscripts, if this past work is genuinely foundational or relevant to your current argument, cite it. This is not "citation stuffing"; it's building a coherent research narrative.

3. Prioritize Open Access (OA)

This is a proven, long-term strategy. If your work is behind a paywall, fewer people can read it, and therefore, fewer people can cite it.

• Publish in OA journals when possible.

• Upload Preprints: Use repositories like arXiv, bioRxiv, SSRN, or your own institutional repository. This makes a version of your work free for everyone, legally, and often gets indexed by Google Scholar before the final publication.

4. Broaden Your Collaboration Network

Co-authorship is a powerful citation driver. When you co-author a paper with researchers from different institutions or countries, your paper is exposed to their networks, not just your own. This wider audience leads to more diverse citations, helping your paper get to 10 citations faster.

5. Strategically Write a Review Article

This is a long-term play, but highly effective. A single, well-written review article summarizing the state of your field can become a go-to resource for new researchers. These articles often accumulate 10+ citations with relative ease and can become a staple of your academic profile for years.

Conclusion

While the h-index measures the "height" of your academic impact, the i10-index measures the "breadth." It’s a simple, transparent, and valuable metric for showcasing your ability to consistently produce work that resonates with the scientific community. By performing a simple profile clean-up, strategically promoting your "on-the-cusp" work, and prioritizing open access, you can actively and effectively improve this important score.