Google Scholar Author Comparison Overlay

WHAT IT DOES

This script scans Google Scholar search result pages for author profiles and citation metrics, then displays a floating overlay comparing multiple authors side-by-side. It extracts author names, total citations, h-index, i10-index, and publication counts from the page, and displays a comparison matrix with color-coded indicators: green for highest, yellow for medium, red for lowest. It calculates rankings for each metric, highlights top performers with medal emojis (🥇🥈🥉), and provides a summary of relative strengths showing who leads in each category. Users can select which authors to compare and export the comparison data as CSV or JSON. All comparison snapshots are stored per domain locally for tracking over time.

WHERE IT RUNS

Works on Google Scholar search result pages (scholar.google.com) when searching for authors. The script detects author containers using Google Scholar's class names (.gs_ai, .gs_ai_phd, etc.) and extracts citation metrics from each author entry, making it compatible with Google Scholar's search results layout.

HOW TO USE

The panel appears automatically when you visit a Google Scholar search results page with author entries. It detects all authors and displays a comparison matrix showing each author's name, total citations, h-index, i10-index, and affiliation. Colors indicate relative performance: green for the highest values, yellow for medium, red for the lowest. The "Top Performers" section shows who leads in each metric with medal icons. Click "Refresh Data" to rescan for updated author data. Export comparison data as CSV for spreadsheet analysis or as JSON for programmatic use. Use "Clear History" to reset stored snapshots for the current domain. The panel automatically saves a snapshot each time you visit, building a history of author comparisons.

TECHNICAL MECHANISM: GOOGLE SCHOLAR AUTHOR EXTRACTION WITH METRIC COMPARISON AND COLOR-CODED RANKING

The script uses a comprehensive detection strategy. It searches for author containers using Google Scholar-specific selectors (.gs_ai, .gs_ai_phd, .gs_ai_para, .gs_ai_chpr, .gs_ai_sb, .gs_ai_il, .gs_ai_as) and falls back to scanning divs with author patterns (capitalized names and "cited by" text). For each author, it extracts the name from .gs_ai_name or anchor elements, total citations from "cited by [number]" patterns, h-index from "h-index: [number]" patterns, and i10-index from "i10-index: [number]" patterns. Affiliation is extracted from .gs_ai_aff or .gs_ai_a elements. The comparison algorithm calculates the maximum and minimum values for each metric, then assigns color-coding based on the value's position within the range: values in the top 30% are green, 30-70% are yellow, bottom 30% are red. Rankings are calculated by sorting authors by each metric and assigning ranks (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.). The top performer summary identifies the highest value in each metric and handles ties. Each snapshot stores the author data with all metrics, capped at 30 entries per domain.

THE PANEL

The author comparison overlay appears in a draggable, resizable panel that remembers its position per site. The panel shows a summary card, a comparison matrix with color-coded metrics, top performers summary, and history. Drag by the header to reposition, collapse to a compact icon with a click, and resize using the bottom-right corner. The panel snaps to screen edges for tidy placement and closes with the Escape key. All settings—panel position—persist per website using GM_setValue, so your view returns exactly as you left it.

PLEASE NOTE

This script requires the free BotGentz extension to run. The script relies on Google Scholar's current search results page structure—if Google Scholar updates their layout, author detection may need updating. The script does not access your Google account credentials—all data is read from the visible page and processed locally. The color-coding is based on relative performance within the detected group of authors. The affiliation extraction may not work for all author entries if the page uses different formatting. All data is stored locally in your browser via GM_setValue and never transmitted.