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Another Way to Search: Using Cited References to Identify Research Literature
Once an article or other scholarly publication is published, later authors can affirm, dispute, praise, ridicule, refine, or build upon the ideas presented in a given publication. This ongoing ‘conversation’ is the process of scholarly communication. Most scholarly library research involves keyword or subject searching. However, researchers can also find important literature through cited reference searching -- identifying publications that cite a given publication. When one publication is cited by another publication, it signifies that the two are related in some way. This is not necessarily an indicator of the quality of either publication, or that the authors are in agreement, or that the two are even on the same topic. One has to examine the actual publications to get a better understanding of how they are related. Cited reference searching also allows you to trace the development of research over time, to assess the impact of a publication or a journal based on how frequently it is cited, and to identify patterns and trends based on citation activity. A Record from the Scopus Database (see graphic to the right). Two major databasesavailable from HSLS are most useful for cited reference searching—Scopus and ISI Web of Science: • Scopus includes over 28 million articles from more than 14,000 journals in science, technology, medicine, and some social sciences, including all MEDLINE articles. Cited references are included in the database for all works published since 1995. • ISI Web of Science includes about 9,000 journals in the sciences, social sciences, and humanities. Pitt’s subscription allows you to view citing articles back to 1992, but the number of citing references is based on data back to 1974. (HSLS librarians can perform full cited reference searches back to 1974 on the Dialog system, at no charge to authorized library patrons.) So which database should health sciences researchers use? Scopus should suffice for most users who need only recent citation information. Searching ISI Web of Science in addition to Scopus provides a broader timeline, and may also pick up some journals that are not included in Scopus. The most comprehensive search will include both databases. Scopus and ISI Web of Science also support e-mail citation alerts, which provide e-mail notification when a new publication cites a particular publication of interest. For information about creating alerts see <www.hsls.pitt.edu/guides/alerts/>. Additional questions about cited reference searching? Contact the HSLS reference desk at 412-648-8796 or medlibq@pitt.edu. HSLS librarians can offer instruction to groups or individuals, in-depth consultations, or assistance with searches. |
