Re: Scopus Singh, Haymwantee 21 Sep 2005 18:28 UTC
Dear Colleagues: I agree totally with Rick and Warren. Please do not be suspicious of Scopus. Let me try to be a database handicapper, so to speak, so I would say that "Scopus is a real contender to WOS". The New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) is also a Scopus development partner and we have had a great partnership with the database staff. The simplest way to put this with regards the scopus interface is "this interface is designed for the end-user by the end-user". Our faculty, students and librarians have provided feedback about the database features, functionalities, interface and its content and is continuing to do so. Of course we could not have afforded WOS too but we were interested in it. When Scopus came along, we had a trial of both databases for about 8 months. We did our own independent investigation by doing citation searches in both for a number of faculty. We ended up with a decision in favor of Scopus. It suited our customer profile at NJIT and almost a year later we are ever more happy with the decision. My own views of Scopus are extremely positive. Even past sceptics here at NJIT are encouraged by the results of their research. I have seen smiles on faces that I thought would never happen. The product is very easy to use, it provides a very realistic summary of your search results in such away that it can be used as a library management/decisonmaking tool. All in all it does not only provide results after a search but it provides you with decisionmaking elements. As the old proverb goes "the proof of the pudding is in the eating", so I'd suggest that "find out" by signing up for a trial. Feel free to ask me questions. Cheers! Haymwantee P. Singh Technical Reference Librarian R.W. Van Houten Library New Jersey Institute of Technology 323 ML King Boulevard Newark, NJ 07102 Ph: 973-596-8498 Fax 973-643-5601 singhh@adm.njit.edu -----Original Message----- From: SERIALST: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum [mailto:SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU] On Behalf Of Warren Holder Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2005 12:01 PM To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU Subject: [SERIALST] Scopus Rick Anderson writes; There's no need to sit idly by and be suspicious -- check out Scopus' results and see what you think. Better yet, do a rigorous study and publish it. The resulting article would be interesting and useful. To this statement I say amen. I really wish that there could be a little more rigor brought to the many accusations being floated about newer e-resouces such as Scopus and Google Scholar. There is going to be another session at the European ICOLC meeting taking place in Poznan, Poland at the end of September where speakers will compare and contrast Google Scholar, Scopus and Web Of Science. While I have no problem with this, I did suggest that I would prefer to hear from a researcher who either has or would be prepared to actually use the e-resouces for some research and then report on their results. We will see what happens.