Our Resource of the Month for February is Web of Science API Expanded

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Each month, one of our Subject Librarians chooses an electronic resource which they feel will be of interest to you.

John Southall (Bodleian Data Librarian and Subject Consultant for Economics and Sociology) sat beside a computer in the Social Science Library. Book shelves are in the background.

February’s Resource of the Month has been selected by John Southall, Bodleian Data Librarian and Subject Consultant for Economics and Sociology.

John’s choice is Web of Science API Expanded (WoS API Expanded)

Overview

WoS API Expanded Expanded offers a flexible and efficient way to work with large volumes of data, and avoids potential problems of applying TDM to a traditional Web of Science browser interface designed for smaller volume, non-programmatic manual searches.

Key benefits include:

  • Programmatic access to trusted WoS data
    Researchers can retrieve large amounts of publication metadata, cited references, and citation counts directly from the Web of Science Core Collection.
  • Support for large-scale and reproducible analyses
    The API enables automated data collection for systematic reviews, scientometric studies, network analyses, and longitudinal research assessment, supporting reproducibility and transparency.
  • Integration with existing research workflows
    Data can be used with commonly used tools (e.g. Python, R).
  • Enhanced interdisciplinary discovery
    By working at scale, researchers can explore citation patterns and connections across disciplines, helping to identify emerging areas of research.

Comparison with the Web of Science Starter API

The Starter (or Simple) API is still available as part of the Bodleian Libraries subscription. It is generally easier to use for straightforward requests such as basic metadata lookups (e.g., DOI or author checks) or linking Web of Science metadata into external applications with minimal coding. Both APIs are RESTful services requiring applications for API keys via Clarivate’s Developer Portal.

A Subject & Research Guide has been published to support this and other resources as well as outline the principles of Text and Data Mining.

Where can you access the resource

This resource can be accessed via SOLO.

A Single-Sign-On (SSO) is required this database remotely, as it is restricted to Oxford University students and staff members.

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