Abstract
The Kardashian Index was designed for comedic purposes and meant to highlight researchers with minimal scholar contribution but oversized social media influence. We sought to examine attitudes and understanding of the Kardashian index by conducting a retrospective observational study of tweets retrieved from the Twitter API, Academic Track. From July 30th, 2014 to May 1st, 2021, 5826 unique tweets containing the phrase "Kardashian index” or related search terms were identified. Interest in the Kardashian Index peaked around the time of publication (July 30th, 2014), though the metric received continued discussion. One hundred random tweets were analyzed to see if the conversation points were positive, negative, or neutral. A majority (29%) of the tweets were neutral. Twenty-three percent of the tweets addressed the user’s own K-Index value, while 21% and 17% of the tweets were either critical or joking, respectively. Only a minority of tweets are critical of or appreciate the humor of the Kardashian index. The majority discuss the term matter-of-factly. Although the Kardashian Index was created in a lighthearted manner, a more serious tone emerges, prompting questions about the shifting role of scholarly and public influence.
Highlights
The Kardashian Index (K-Index), a metric that rises based on an individual’s twitter follower count, and falls based on cumulative lifetime citations, was proposed by Dr Neil Hall in 2014 as a humorous effort to draw attention to individuals with large public influence, but relatively minimal scholarly impact (Hall, 2014)
The search terms we used were "K-index," "K index," "Kardashian-index," and "Kardashian index." Each search query was supplemented with the exclusion prompts, “-is:retweet” to filter out any retweets and “-solar” to filter out tweets related to the K-index for space weather
The single tweet with the highest number of retweets (n = 63) about the K-Index was on January 7th, 2019 (Table 1)
Summary
The Kardashian Index (K-Index), a metric that rises based on an individual’s twitter follower count, and falls based on cumulative lifetime citations, was proposed by Dr Neil Hall in 2014 as a humorous effort to draw attention to individuals with large public influence, but relatively minimal scholarly impact (Hall, 2014). That junior researchers, even those with tremendous publication records, may score high, because followers accrue faster than lifetime citations. Another limitation is that the ability to popularize or communicate science clearly, drawing large audiences, is itself a virtue, and this skillset may complement or enhance traditional research dissemination. Despite these limitations, which the index’s developer initially conceded (Hall, 2014), the Kardashian index has gained recognition in the academy and Twittersphere. The index has even inspired spinoffs, such as the Modified-Kardashian Index (MK-Index). (Ebrahim & Nader, 2015)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
