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What the Information Industry Is Saying About Scopus

Scopus refines scientific searching
Kim Thomas finds a useful ally in tracking authors and citations

The abstract and citation database Scopus enables users to search titles in 15,000 peer-reviewed journals in the fields of health science, life science, social science and physical science. It offers a range of useful extra features, such as the ability to track citations of articles, to save searches and alert users by email when a new search result becomes available.

But is it easy to use? By and large, the answer is “Yes.” The first page you see when you log in is the search page, which is clearly laid out and enables you to get started straight away. ...Scopus is an immensely useful resource that draws on a vast range of publications. Its search functionality is, for the main part, easy to use and requires no prior knowledge on the part of the user. While the Advanced Search option is a little trickier, it doesn’t take long to get used to, and the level of refinement it offers is worth making the effort. The ability to save searches and to receive updates are excellent time-saving features. All in all, Scopus is an invaluable tool for the serious researcher. Read on...

Information World Review, June 2007
iWR SMART CHOICE pronetuser

Scopus Harnesses the h-index to Increase the Quality and Reliability of Citation Tracking

Best known for being the largest abstract and citation database of its kind, Scopus is the optimal data source for author-level evaluation. Scopus takes bibliometrics to a new level with the h-index, a contemporary metric that takes all of a particular author’s articles, published between 1996 to present and matched through the Scopus Author Identifier, into account.

Bibliometrics, also known as Research performance measurement (RPM), is the discipline of measuring the performance of a researcher, a collection of selected articles, a journal or an institute. Ideally, research performance is a comprehensive assessment that takes a number of quantitative metrics into account and combines them with qualitative data. Quantitative metrics are gaining prominence because they are easy to benchmark, objective and globally comparative; all important in effective RPM.

The h-index (highly cited index) was developed by Professor J. Hirsch, University of California, San Diego, to qualify the impact and quantity of an individual’s scientific research output.

Author evaluation is a key task within literature research, and within the academic community the evaluation of researchers on the basis of their literary output is increasing in importance in decision making and policy setting including recruitment, promotion, grant allocation and editorial tasks.

According to Iris Kisjes, Scopus' marketing manager, who was quoted in an April 2007 Econtent Magazine article, "the Citation Tracker gives a very clear overview of how someone is performing over time. For example, if you are looking at tenure, you'd want to see if someone is consistent." She points out that this sort of tracking would also be applicable to substantiate funding, as government agencies could use Scopus to check whether a research group would be eligible for support. To make Scopus more useful for its audience, however, Kisjes says they continue to look for the most current and accurate methods to help users evaluate research. She says, "The h-index has become accepted by the research market as a means of measurement, in that it is the most objective value out there at the moment. Including it in Scopus increases the reliability and quality of the citation tracking."

Kisjes continues, "There's a whole trend in the market, with the government setting performance measures for institutes. They have to start performing to get funding. Individuals also have to do this for career advancement, so tracking the value of research has become a hot topic in the market, and Scopus has provided a foundation to do this more effectively." Read on...

Econtent Magazine, April 2007

Update on Scopus and Web of Science

David Goodman and Louise Deis have once again evaluated the advantages of Scopus and the Web of Science (WoS). This time, Scopus comes out ahead of the pack, with The Charleston Advisor reporting that Scopus completed its post 1996 content and contains essentially all available post 1996 issues of the 14,000 science and social science titles.

The report further states that Scopus continues to have a broader coverage of journals than WoS, including more European and third world journals, especially those in other languages. For example, both Scopus and WoS include symposia and monographs published in series; however, Scopus covers many additional unnumbered symposia. Read on...

The Charleston Advisor, January 2007
Reviewed by David Goodman and Louise Deis