Scopus: Creating an Integrated Research Workflow
CILIP
Health
Libraries
Group Newsletter, Volume 22, Number 4, December 2005, ISSN 02666-853X
Tara Settembre
Scopus is best known for being the largest and most comprehensive abstract and indexing (A&I) database covering scientific, technological, medical and social science research information in the world. This is undoubtedly true as Scopus provides easy access to more than 14,200 titles from over 4,000 publishers including:
However, comprehensive coverage is only the beginning. One year after its launch, Scopus is evolving into a research solution that streamlines the complete research workflow.
For years researchers have struggled with the mixed blessing of information technology. While many information systems improved time-consuming aspects of research, the proliferation of different systems for different problems has forced researchers to master a multitude of complex databases.
For instance, the process of compiling useful references from literature research, storing those references and ultimately using them for tasks such as creating bibliographies for research papers or grant applications, usually means going from one database to another and logging in and out of different systems. As a result, researchers have had to master not just multiple systems, but methods for transporting information from one system to another.
Shortly after Scopus’ launch, the designers began to realize that Scopus, designed for 10 CILIP Health Libraries Group Newsletter, 22(4) December 2005 www.cilip.org.uk/hlg ease of use with the help of hundreds of researchers and librarians, would also make a good platform for a completely integrated research workflow. Working with their users to set priorities for integration, Scopus launched an internal project to improve Web integration as well as external projects with CSA and MDL to integrate their products: CSA’s RefWorks and MDL’s CrossFire Commander and Discovery Gate.
Launched in July 2005, Scopus’ integrations with RefWorks, CrossFire Commander and Discovery Gate have given researchers a seamless, easy to use system for finding and using information.
The unique integration with RefWorks enables researchers to go straight from results on Scopus to storing them in RefWorks or, while in RefWorks, initiate a search in Scopus. All this is done live, with real-time interaction between the two systems which are continuously updated so the user can find out instantly how often selected articles in RefWorks have been cited, in which publication, by whom and even if new citations have been made since they last looked. Similarly while in Scopus it is easy to automatically save selected references to RefWorks and see which ones are already saved - a process which otherwise takes several more steps.
With the MDL integration, users of both Scopus and CrossFire Commander and Discovery Gate can now save time and effort by leveraging a fully integrated system that bridges the gap between text and chemical structure searching. From Scopus, researchers can seamlessly access up-to-date summaries of chemical compounds and reactions from the Beilstein database.
Finally, one of the original appeals of Scopus was the way in which it incorporated Web search into its functionality. New “View on Web” links provide access to the full text of cited documents that have been published online. These links extend Scopus’ ability to provide a fully integrated research workflow by enabling researchers to collect all relevant items quickly and easily. In addition, full Web text links will be available for a wide range of document types including theses, manuals, fact sheets, reports, standards, technical notes and so on. To date, over a hundred thousand “View on Web” links are available and Scopus will add hundreds of thousands more by the end of 2005.
Furthermore, Scopus has released an XML gateway for federated searching. Now all federated search engines have to do is develop their “configurations” to communicate with Scopus. Encompass for Resource Access has already released its “configuration” and Metalib is also able to search Scopus.
Conclusion
Scopus has received a strong endorsement from the community, serving nearly 8 million users among more than 500 customers, and is continuing to innovate to find new ways to meet the needs of researchers. The company is preparing to announce significant new developments, including a decision by the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC), the UK government body responsible for information provisioning in higher education, to make Scopus easily available to all of the UK’s universities. Scopus continues to draw upon user feedback to guide development and is planning on further enhancements that will speed the research experience and further simplify the overall research workflow.