Web of Science

Web of Science
Title	Web of Science
Developer	Clarivate
Released	0 1964
Genre	Bibliographic database, Citation index
License	Subscription
Website	https://clarivate.com/products/web-of-science/

Web of Science. It is a premier multidisciplinary research platform providing access to multiple databases of bibliographic and citation information. Originally developed by the Institute for Scientific Information and now maintained by Clarivate, it is a foundational tool for bibliometrics and scientific discovery. The platform enables researchers to track scholarly literature across the natural sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities.

Overview

The platform serves as a critical infrastructure for the global research community, facilitating literature search, citation analysis, and research evaluation. It is widely used by academic institutions, government agencies, and corporations like Pfizer and IBM. Access is typically provided through institutional subscriptions, integrating with library systems at universities such as Harvard University and the University of Oxford. Its core function is mapping the connections between scholarly works through cited references, a concept pioneered by Eugene Garfield.

History and development

The origins trace to the invention of the Science Citation Index by Eugene Garfield and the founding of the Institute for Scientific Information in Philadelphia. The first printed citation index was published in 1964, covering literature from 1961. The Thomson Corporation acquired ISI in 1992, leading to the digital evolution and branding as Web of Science. Following the merger that formed Thomson Reuters, the intellectual property and science assets were spun off; Clarivate was established as an independent company in 2016, taking ownership. Major milestones include the addition of the Social Sciences Citation Index and the Arts & Humanities Citation Index.

Content and coverage

The platform aggregates content from several curated citation indexes, including the Science Citation Index Expanded, the Social Sciences Citation Index, and the Arts & Humanities Citation Index. It also incorporates specialized databases like Derwent Innovations Index for patents and BIOSIS Previews for life sciences. Coverage is highly selective, encompassing thousands of scholarly journals, conference proceedings, and books from publishers like Elsevier, Springer Nature, and Wiley-Blackwell. The selection process involves rigorous evaluation by a team of editors, focusing on publications such as Nature and The Lancet.

Features and functionality

Key features include advanced search capabilities using fields like Author, Publication Name, and Address. The platform's signature tool is its citation tracking, allowing users to generate a Citation report and calculate metrics like the h-index. The Journal Citation Reports module provides annual Impact Factor data for included journals. Analytical functions enable users to identify emerging trends, analyze the research output of institutions like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and visualize collaboration networks through tools like InCites.

Impact and reception

It has profoundly influenced the practice of scientometrics and the evaluation of research performance worldwide. Its data underpins influential university rankings such as the Academic Ranking of World Universities and assessments by the National Science Foundation. The platform's metrics, particularly the Journal Impact Factor, are often used in tenure decisions and grant allocations by bodies like the National Institutes of Health. Critics, including advocates of the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment, argue that over-reliance on its citation metrics can distort research incentives, a topic debated at forums like the World Conference on Research Integrity.

Competitors and alternatives

Primary competitors include Scopus, owned by Elsevier, and Google Scholar, developed by Google. Scopus often compares its broader journal coverage, while Google Scholar is noted for its free access and inclusion of grey literature. Other significant platforms include Dimensions, launched by Digital Science, and Microsoft Academic Graph, though the latter was discontinued. Regional and disciplinary alternatives also exist, such as China National Knowledge Infrastructure for Chinese literature and PubMed for the biomedical sciences.

Category:Bibliographic databases Category:Clarivate Category:Citation indexing