What are the key features of the bibliographic database of the Web of Science (WoS), and how is it commonly used in research?
Answer:-
Web of Science:
1. Web of Science is a comprehensive database that includes multiple specialized databases and tools for scholarly research.
2. It requires an institutional license, making it accessible to researchers affiliated with subscribing organizations.
3. Web of Science allows researchers to perform focused searches in their topic of interest by using various fields available in the drop-down menu, such as title, topic, author, address, etc.
4. The tool enables sorting search results based on criteria like the number of citations (from highest to lowest) or publication date.
5. Researchers can refine their search by using quotes for exact phrases, adding more keywords, or utilizing the “Refine Results” panel to narrow down the results based on criteria like keywords, phrases in quotes, peer-reviewed journal articles, date, language, and more.
6. Expanding the search results is possible by considering alternate word endings, breaking down search concepts, using alternate search terms (including scientific names if applicable), and connecting them with the Boolean operator “OR.”
7. The “Cited reference search” feature enables researchers to trace articles that have cited a previously published paper, allowing them to explore how an idea has been applied, improved, or extended over time.
8. Web of Science facilitates a structured search process, enabling researchers to narrow down and refine their search to ensure relevant and valuable results.
9. The search results provide detailed information about each publication, including title, authors, journal type, volume, issue number, year of publication, abstract, keywords, etc., helping researchers decide whether to acquire the full version of the paper.
10. The built-in fields and features in Web of Science allow researchers to broaden or narrow their search based on their specific needs, making it a powerful tool for comprehensive scholarly research.