The assessment of the scientific potential of institutions can be made by using a variety of numerical indicators. In order to determine the scientific level of Polish institutions one should apply the indicators and methods used for assessing international learning. To this end, researchers frequently use comparisons of publishing activity, frequency of citation and bibliometric indicators aimed at illustrating more qualitative than quantitative status of science. The paper presents the most commonly used measures of publishing activity evaluation (the number of publications, the number of citations, the Impact Factor, the Hirsch Index). It also discusses the pros and cons of the Hirsch Index as a method of evaluation of scientific achievements of both individuals and institutions. In addition, the authors have made reference to a system based on the Impact Factor
