Updates to Web of Science and SCOPUS

Two of our most popular bibliographic databases for the sciences have been recently updated. The updates have changed the appearance of both databases and also added some new functions. Some (but not all) of the changes are listed below.

Web of Science

Name changes:

A little confusingly, the database platform previously known as ‘Web of Knowledge’ has now been renamed simply ‘Web of Science’. Consequently, the database previously known as ‘Web of Science’ has become ‘Web of Science Core Collection’.

Switching databases:

Previously, you switched databases in Web of Knowledge using a set of tabs. To switch between databases now you use the dropdown menu at the top of the screen. By default this is set to ‘All Databases’. If you want to search only the former Web of Science content you need to choose ‘Web of Science Core Collection’ before you start your search.

Types of search:

You can now use the dropdown menu directly above the search boxes on the Web of Science search screen to choose the type of search you want to carry out. The options available vary according to which database you’re searching. For the Web of Science Core Collection you can choose include –

  • Cited reference search
  • Structure search
  • Advanced search

Further details about the changes to Web of Science can be found here:

http://wokinfo.com/media/pdf/WoK_5-13_ReleaseNotes.pdf

SCOPUS

Interface changes:

The design of SCOPUS has been overhauled to make it easier to find important functions and navigate around search results.

Exporting to Mendeley:

A new option to export directly to the Mendeley reference management software has been added to the other result export options.

Further details about changes to SCOPUS can be found here:

http://blog.scopus.com/posts/scopus-release-141-notes