Responsible Research Evaluation

Quality-Adjusted Research Index

QARI is a composite research evaluation index designed to move beyond sheer publication volume. It combines impact per output, consistency, high-impact share, authorship leadership, and recency momentum, while applying explicit penalties for excessive self-citation, retractions, or other flagged outputs.

0.486
Live QARI Display
A simple front-end prototype for explanation and score presentation.
Core Components5
Penalty FactorPF
AggregationGeo-mean
Default Weights0.25–0.10

What QARI Measures

QARI is intended as a balanced indicator for researcher assessment. Instead of rewarding output volume alone, it emphasizes typical impact, repeated excellence, intellectual leadership, and current momentum. Because the final score is multiplied by an integrity penalty, weaknesses in research integrity cannot be fully offset by strengths in other dimensions.

QARI = PF × ( IPO0.25 · CONS0.20 · HIS0.20 · LWI0.25 · RM0.10 )
The page below uses the default weight structure described in the manuscript and calculates the score in real time.

QARI Components

Each component captures a different dimension of research performance. Together, they create a more interpretable and less productivity-biased summary of scholarly contribution.

IPO — Impact per Output

Average field-normalized citation impact per publication. This component favors average quality rather than sheer publication count.

CONS — Consistency

Median normalized impact across outputs. This captures the typical paper and reduces distortion caused by a few extreme outliers.

HIS — High-Impact Share

Share of outputs falling within the top 10% of field- and year-normalized citation performance.

LWI — Leadership Weighting Index

Adjusts credit according to authorship leadership and team size, rewarding first or corresponding author roles more strongly.

RM — Recency Momentum

Compares recent 5-year impact with career-long impact, helping identify current dynamism rather than legacy impact alone.

PF — Penalty Factor

Reduces the final score for excessive self-citation, retractions, and flagged outputs, preserving integrity within the index.

QARI Score Display

Enter component values to simulate a researcher profile. The display updates automatically and can be used as a simple explanatory or demonstration module on a public website.

Suggested interpretation: IPO and CONS are field-normalized impact measures; HIS, LWI, and PF usually range from 0 to 1; RM can exceed 1 when recent impact is above the career average.

0.486

This is the live composite score based on the default QARI weights. It is intended as a transparent summary, not a replacement for expert judgment.

Balanced profile
IPO
0.50
CONS
0.45
HIS
0.15
LWI
0.35
RM
1.10
PF
0.95
Formula used on this page: QARI = PF × (IPO^0.25 × CONS^0.20 × HIS^0.20 × LWI^0.25 × RM^0.10). This simplified webpage is designed for public explanation and front-end demonstration.