Scopus and Web of Science are leading scientometrics databases that play an important role in the international scientific community. For scholars planning publication at the international level, the question of choosing between these databases is one of the most relevant. Which database should you choose? We will discuss this in today’s article.
What is the Scopus database?
Scopus is one of the largest scientometrics databases, created by Elsevier. The database covers a wide range of scientific publications across various disciplines and provides scholars, lecturers, and researchers from around the world with the ability to search for up-to-date scientific information, analyse publication citations, track authors’ scientific activity, and so on. This makes Scopus one of the main tools for academic activity and strategic planning of publication activity. The database covers a wide range of disciplines; however, the main ones are humanities, in particular: philosophy, linguistics, literature, art studies, history, cultural studies, sociology, and psychology.
As of today, the content of Scopus consists of:
- more than 29 thousand scientific journals
- more than 7 thousand publishers
- more than 100 million records
- more than 400 thousand scientific books
- more than 2.5 billion cited references
- more than 25 million open-access documents
Capabilities of the Scopus database
Scopus provides unique opportunities for scholars to disseminate their research. The main functions of Scopus include the following:
- Search for relevant literature sources. Thanks to the search system and a significant number of filters, scholars can find the necessary publications that correspond to their interests and research topic, and are also highly valued in the scientific community and contain reliable information.
- Citation tracking. Scopus provides the ability to track citations of a scholar’s works or those of their colleagues, which is important for evaluating researchers’ scientific contribution.
- Journal selection for publication. The database provides opportunities to analyse the reputation and level of prestige of scientific journals using scientometrics indicators such as CiteScore, SNIP, and others, as well as to select a journal by quartile (Q1-Q4). Thus, scholars can choose the most suitable journal for themselves.
- Tracking scientific trends. Researchers can follow updates in their field of activity and in science as a whole.
- Collaboration and networking. Thanks to the presence of author and institutional profiles in the database, the chances of finding partners for joint publications or projects increase.
Advantages of the Scopus database
| Wide coverage of disciplines and sources | Scopus covers over 29,000 journals and millions of records. This allows scientists to conduct interdisciplinary research and find information that goes beyond the scope of a single specialisation. |
| Convenient search and filtering | A user-friendly interface and a sufficient number of filters allow you to quickly find relevant articles by keywords, authors, organisations, or publication dates. This saves search time and increases research efficiency. |
| Author and organisation profiles | The database contains over 21 million author profiles and over 94,000 institution profiles. This helps track scientific productivity and increases the chances of collaboration with other scientists. |
| Cooperation with other platforms | Scopus cooperates with other platforms, such as ORCID and Mendeley, which simplifies the process of managing bibliographies and exchanging data with other scientific systems. |
What is the Web of Science database?
Web of Science (WoS) is an authoritative international scientometrics database owned by Clarivate. It covers carefully selected scientific journals from various fields of knowledge, including natural sciences, engineering, medical, social, and humanities disciplines.
The core of the database consists of journals that have passed strict selection and belong to such indexes as Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Arts and Humanities Citation Index (AHCI), and others. Web of Science allows citation tracking, analysis of trends in science, and so on. Thanks to its high requirements for content quality, it is an important tool for scholars seeking international recognition and academic advancement.
Web of Science covers large volumes of information, and the platform’s content includes:
- more than 22 thousand peer-reviewed journals
- 134 thousand scientific books (via the Book Citation Index)
- 254 subject areas
- 2.4 billion cited references
- more than 97 million records in the Web of Science Core Collection
Advantages of publication in the Web of Science database
Despite the complex publication process and strict requirements for submitted materials, publication in WoS has a number of advantages for scholars.
| High level of peer review | WoS journals undergo a rigorous selection process that includes an assessment of the quality of the editorial process, scientific significance, and ethical standards. Thanks to rigorous peer review, only high-quality research is published in these journals. This, in turn, increases trust in the articles and their authors. |
| Prestige and recognition | Publication in Web of Science journals significantly enhances the author's academic reputation. In addition, such articles are often a prerequisite for obtaining grants, academic degrees or positions, as they confirm the author's high level of competence. |
| Global visibility | Thanks to the wide audience of WoS (scientists, universities, grant agencies, etc.), articles have a better chance of being cited. This contributes to the growth of the author's h-index and strengthens their position in the scientific and academic community. |
| Long-term impact | Articles published in this database remain available for citation by other researchers for a long time, which is effective for maintaining the scientist's scientific image in the long term. |
Scopus and Web of Science: subject areas
Although both Scopus and Web of Science are positioned as multidisciplinary platforms, there is still a difference between them. Below we have prepared a comparative table of Scopus and Web of Science disciplines:
| Web of Science | Scopus |
| Physics | Philosophy |
| Mathematics | Linguistics |
| Chemistry | Literature |
| Biology | Art History |
| Engineering sciences | History |
| Medicine | Cultural Studies |
| Computer Science | Sociology |
Key differences between Scopus and Web of Science
- Metrics and evaluation methods. Both platforms use quartiles and percentiles; however, these indicators are calculated using different algorithms. In Scopus, metrics such as CiteScore and SJR (SCImago Journal Rank) are used, whereas in Web of Science the key indicator is JIF (Journal Impact Factor).
- Data volume. Web of Science has a longer history and provides greater citation depth, including archival data starting from 1864. Scopus covers a broader array of modern sources; although it appeared later, some materials date back to 1788.
- Subject focus of indexed journals. A certain specialisation can be observed: Scopus is somewhat more oriented towards humanities, social, and applied sciences, whereas Web of Science focuses on exact and natural sciences.
- Structure. The most well-known structural component of WoS is the Web of Science Core Collection, which is considered the core of the database and consists of 10 citation indexes. Scopus is a more unified platform without division into collections.
- Interaction with other platforms. Scopus closely interacts with the analytical platform SciVal, which allows in-depth analysis of scientific productivity. Web of Science is integrated with InCites – a system for assessing research potential at the level of individual authors, institutions, and countries.
Both platforms have a high level of prestige and authority in the scientific community, and publications in them are highly valued by scholars, universities, and research institutions around the world.
The choice of database for publication should depend on your goals and the requirements of your university or research institution. It is necessary to take seriously the selection of an appropriate journal and the preparation of the manuscript according to its requirements. It is also worth emphasising that Scopus and Web of Science have strict requirements for the quality and formatting of materials, as well as a rigorous peer-review process that may last on average six months or longer. Therefore, when choosing a journal in these databases, one should proceed from one’s publication plan and deadlines in order to meet the required timeframes for publication.
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