Advanced search

 

In addition to this brief description there is an E-Tutorial: Scopus - Erweiterte Suche

 
 

Contents of the brief description

This brief description explains how to conduct an advanced search with field types, the so called “Field Codes”, and the boolean operators.

 
 

Access

Screenshort start page Scopus advanced search "cancer nanomedicine"

The subject "cancer nanomedicine" is taken as the example for an advanced search. The terms can be written separately or in quotation marks to recieve documents that contain the search input within the title, the abstract or the keywords.

 
 

Field types

Screenshot Scopus Field Types

To choose different field types, you can use the drop-down menu right beside " search within". The opened pulldown -menu shows the most frequently used fields.

 
 

Advanced Search

Screenshot Scopus Advanced Search

The search will now be limited to the subject "medicine". To reach this, the option "Advanced document search" will be used to get to the search mask belonging to the advanced search. The previous used term "cancer nanomedicine" will be adopted.

 
  Screenshot Scopus Advanced Search
 
 

Use of the operators

Screenshot Scopus Use of the operator AND

The favored boolean operator can be inserted by clicking the "+"-sign on the right handside beside the "Operators". In this example "and" is used.
Tip: Please make sure that the cursor is set at the end of the existing query.

 
  Screenshot Scopus Advanced Search Field Codes

A complete list of all available "Field Codes" including the "Subject Areas" is located below the operator selection. You can use them by clicking the "+"-sign to limit the search to the search field "medicine".

 
  Screenshot Scopus Details Subject Area

If you click on the term itself, further information about this specific subject area index will open on the left, including the sub-categories of the subject area.

 
  Screenshot Scopus Advanced Search Searchstring


The "Field Codes" can also be typed directely into the search.

 
  Screenshot Scopus Autosuggest Menu

For better orientation, an autosuggest-dropdown-menu will open. You can choose easy between the abbreviation of the "Field codes" and the thematic suborder of the chosen type.

 
 

Manipulation of the Search Results

Screenshot Scopus Manipulation of the search results

By using the search-function you can open a list of document results. To refine these results on the basis of different criteria, you find various facets to choose from on the left. The list of facets can be opened by using the respective arrow. The "limit to" button limits the results to the selected attributes, whereas the option "Exclude" means an exclusion from the results, which is equivalent to the Boolean operator And-Not.

 
  Screenshot Scopus Limitation for years and document type

In this example, the search is limited to some specific years and document type.

 
 

Edit query

Screenshot Scopus Edit Search String

At the top of the page, the search string shows all the modifications made to the search. By using the button "edit" the search string can be changed, e. g. by deleting previous filters.

 
 

Edit search string via "Outline query"

Screenshot Scopus Edit Search String Outline Query

It can be helpful to use the function "outline query", which shows a list of all used criteria seperated from each other.
This outlined list helps to remove individual components of your search query, e. g. single publication years. By using the "Search"-button you can start a new search with the updated query.

 
  Screenshot Scopus Edit Search String Outline Query