7,014 times, an idea continued its journey.
Today, my research has reached 7,014 citations on Google Scholar, with an h-index of 41 and an i10-index of 173. (https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=mBDskZcAAAAJ&hl=sr)
Yet the most meaningful part of this milestone is that it does not belong to me alone.
Every citation begins with someone choosing to engage with an idea—to question it, test it, teach it, apply it, or carry it in a new direction. That is how knowledge grows: it leaves the hands of its author and becomes part of something larger.
Academic impact is not defined only by how much we publish, but by what happens after our work is published.
In disaster risk management, research cannot end on the page. Behind every statistic are people, families, institutions, and communities exposed to uncertainty and risk. Our work must therefore do more than contribute to the literature—it must help societies recognise risks earlier, make wiser decisions, prepare more effectively, and recover more strongly.
The true measure of scientific work is not only how often it is cited, but whether it helps others understand more clearly, act more wisely, and build something better.
I am sincerely grateful to every co-author, colleague, student, reviewer, editor, practitioner, institution, and researcher who has challenged, supported, shared, or built upon my work. Whatever value these ideas have achieved was made possible through our collective effort.
If this milestone can encourage anyone—especially a young researcher still wondering whether their work truly matters—I hope it says: keep going. Meaningful work rarely travels quickly. But with curiosity, patience, integrity, and generosity, even one idea can reach farther than we ever imagined.
May we never lose the curiosity to ask better questions, the humility to learn from one another, or the courage to turn knowledge into action. This milestone is not a moment of arrival. It is a reminder of responsibility and an invitation to continue.
May the next idea help make a community safer and a society more resilient.
The work continues—with gratitude, purpose, and an open invitation to collaborate.
Research, publications, and collaboration:
www.vmcdrm.com
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