The full text
linking abstracting & indexing database has been in beta
testing at several university libraries in North America and
Europe and covers an estimated 80 percent of peer-reviewed STM
literature. Final testing and user trials have begun with full
commercial release remaining on course for the final quarter
of
2004.
Conceived
solely in response to librarian and user requirements, Scopus
is the result of Elsevier's two year collaboration with
librarians and researchers at over 20 of the world's foremost
institutions. The outcome? Marshall Clinton, Director of IT
Services at University of Toronto Libraries, sums it up: "At
the University of Toronto, there is no question that Scopus
will not only become a key information source for science,
technology and medicine but also supplant some of the more
traditional information
sources."
 Biggest A&I STM database
ever assembled
Throughout the
development phase, librarians and researchers were unanimous
in their requests for a comprehensive resource to eliminate
duplication of content, and provide seamless access to full
text. So, at the heart of Scopus is the biggest A&I
database of scientific literature ever assembled, covering
titles from over 4,000 STM publishers. And to ensure nothing
is missed, Scopus simultaneously searches the scientific web
using the science-only internet search engine, Scirus. Results
are listed almost instantaneously, then users can seamlessly
link to the full text in one click. It's this solution that is
making dead-links a thing of the past. And it's receiving
glowing reports from users, asking: "why didn't they have this
when I was doing my
PhD!"
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But that's just
a glimpse of Scopus 'intuition' a sixth sense for knowing how
its users think - developed by modelling tester's cognitive
patterns. "We recorded every detail of testers' reactions when
using Scopus," says Jaco Zijlstra, Director of Scopus. "Now,
users can find their way immediately. With Scopus users can
expect the unexpected, helping to find results they didn't
even know they wanted."
An interface with beautiful
simplicity
The result of
all this testing says Elsevier, is a user interface which is
beautiful in its simplicity, with easy-to-use searching
straight from the home page and intuitive browsing tools to
fuel serendipity. According to Marshall Clinton: "The Scopus
interface clearly reflects the value of the user-centred
design approach used in its development. The system works the
way researchers use abstract and citation data, not the way we
think they should use
it."
In addition to
the direct involvement of leading institutions as development
partners, Elsevier was able to draw on 30 years' experience in
producing some of the most important and respected STM
electronic platforms, including abstract and indexing
databases such as the renowned Compendex, and EMBASE, and the
ScienceDirect Navigator.
But Scopus is
as much a service as it is a product. Industry-leading levels
of reliability and powerful delivery will be coupled with
local customer support, customer-specific usage reports which
will be COUNTER compliant, as well as on- and off-site
training, to provide a complete package for librarians and
end-users. More on Scopus here.
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