Author! Author! Scopus Author Identifier is a hit, says: Reeta

Reeta Sinha has worked in medical and academic libraries for… a very long time. From 2002-2006, she headed the University Libraries Collection Development department at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, a Scopus development partner since November 2003. Reeta enjoyed the library-content provider partnership experience so much she recently crossed to the ‘other side’ and is currently a Collection Development Manager at YBP Library Services. When not working, Reeta is an avid Bollywood fan. What’s Bollywood? Do a Quick Search in Scopus and Find Out!

Let’s face it. Author searches can be time-consuming and frustrating whether you’re a student with a paper due tomorrow or a seasoned (re)searcher. Did the author publish under her full name or use initials only? What if there are ten other authors with the same name? What if five of those ten are working in the same field? See what I mean?

The Scopus Author Identifier simplifies author searching by presenting information on one screen that allows you to not only zero in on the author you’re searching for, but then, with a click, view articles, obtain more information about the author, and perform a citation analysis.

To see how it works, I did an Author Search for “Sinha, M.” Take my word for it, there are a lot of Sinhas out there. It may not be a last name as common as, say, Smith, but my search yielded over 200 results. With the Scopus Author Identifier, though, I simply scrolled through the results list, scanning the Subject Areas and Affiliation columns and quickly identified the correct author. In the Authors column, I also checked if any variations of the author’s name existed. For example, did he also publish using a middle initial? Then, with a click I could view a list of the author’s articles or go to the Details view. The Details icon appears if an author has more than one document in Scopus. I feel the Details screen embodies the power of the Scopus Author Identifier. Not only are you able to obtain information about author collaborators, but from this one screen, again, you can easily view articles, see other areas of research in which the author may be active, and retrieve a citation overview by clicking on Citation Tracker.

Accuracy is paramount when conducting an author search. With the Scopus Author Identifier users can be sure they’ve selected the right author using the identifying information provided on the results screen. To ensure quality is continuously maintained, authors can also easily send in corrections via the Contact Us or the author details Feedback links.

Efficiency when performing literature searches is invaluable. With the Scopus Author Identifier users can quickly find the correct author, view articles, and obtain a citation overview, all from one screen.

Collaboration is essential to the research process. The Scopus Author Identifier enables researchers to easily identify peers in their field with a quick glance at the Subject Areas column.

Imagine yourself telling a group of users they can now identify the correct author, link to articles and perform a citation analysis with a single click, easily and quickly. For rave reviews, introduce your library users to the Scopus Author Identifier.