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Social Sciences › Social Sciences › Library and Information Sciences
The Journal Coverage of Web of Science, Scopus and Dimensions: A Comparative Analysis
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Paper Summary
Conflicts of Interest
Identified Weaknesses
Rating Explanation
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Paper Summary
Paperzilla title
Database Showdown: Web of Science, Scopus, and Dimensions Compared! (Spoiler: They're All Different)
This study compared the journal coverage of Web of Science, Scopus, and Dimensions. It found significant differences in coverage, with Web of Science being the most selective and Dimensions the most exhaustive. These differences impact research output volume, rank, global share, and subject area distribution when comparing data from the three databases for various countries.
Possible Conflicts of Interest
None identified
Identified Weaknesses
Reliance on Journal Lists
The study's reliance on journal lists for analysis may not fully capture the actual article coverage, as different journals publish varying numbers of articles. This could lead to discrepancies between journal overlap and article overlap percentages.
Simplified Subject Area Mapping
The mapping of subject areas from Scopus and Dimensions to Web of Science's major subject areas is a simplification that may not accurately reflect the granular subject classifications within each database. This could affect the interpretation of subject area distribution comparisons.
Exclusion of Other Publication Types
The study focuses solely on journal coverage and does not consider other publication types like books and conference proceedings, limiting the comprehensiveness of the database comparison.
Restrictive Matching Procedure
The matching procedure used to identify overlapping journals is restrictive and may have missed some matches due to variations in journal titles or spelling across databases. While the impact is estimated to be small, it could still slightly affect the results.
Rating Explanation
This study provides a valuable, up-to-date comparison of journal coverage across three major scientific databases, including the relatively new Dimensions. The methodology is sound, and the analysis is thorough. While there are limitations regarding the use of journal lists and subject area mapping, the findings offer useful insights for researchers and those involved in research assessment.
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Topic Hierarchy
File Information
Original Title:
The Journal Coverage of Web of Science, Scopus and Dimensions: A Comparative Analysis
File Name:
2011.00223.pdf
[download]
File Size:
0.67 MB
Uploaded:
July 14, 2025 at 05:08 PM
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