Scopus guide

Instructions for use of the Scopus database

Proximity operators


W/n words in any order, n≥0

energy w/2 policy

(distan* OR online OR virtual* OR remote*) w/5 (educat* OR learn* OR teach*)

robot* w/1 hand OR arm

systematic W/5 review > systematic PRE/5 review, review with a systematic... 

 

PRE/n words in given order, n≥0

heart PRE/0 attack is the same as "heart attack"

(sme OR smes OR smb OR smbs) OR ((small* OR medium*) PRE/3 (business* OR compan* OR enterpris* OR firm* OR corporation*))

systematic PRE/5 review > systematic review, systematic literature review, systematic and critical review, systematic search and scoping review...

Without parentheses, the program performs operations in the following order:

sensor W/15 robot AND water OR orbit OR planet

  1. OR
  2. W/n, PRE/n
  3. AND
  4. AND NOT
  1. OR: First, Scopus processes the OR connector by looking for documents containing water, orbit, or planet.
  2. W/15: Next, it looks for documents where sensor is within 15 words of robot.
  3. AND: Scopus processes the AND operator last, returning any documents it found in steps 1 and 2 that contain water, orbit, or planet, and also contain sensor within 15 words of robot.

 

Parentheses can be used to specify the order of execution - the program always executes the brackets first

finland or finnish and pisa  is the same as (finland or finnish) and pisa

(wind OR solar) AND (power OR energy)  

(robot* w/2 hand) OR (robot* pre/3 arm)

Scopus example | Proximity operation

The topic is about the fourth industrial revolution in micro, small and medium-sized enterprises..

Industry 4.0 words are combined with company words with AND operation.
Alternative company abbreviations and company words are retrieved using the OR operation.
Terms describing size are combined with company words in the PRE/3 sequential proximity operation.

 

Kuvakaappaus Scopuksesta

The search string in Advanced search is >>>

( TITLE-ABS-KEY ( "fourth industrial revolution"  OR  "4th industrial revolution"  OR  "industry 4.0"  OR  "industrial revolution 4.0"  OR  "industrial internet of things"  OR  "industrial iot"  OR  "industrial iots"  OR  i2ot  OR  iiot )  AND  TITLE-ABS-KEY ( sme  OR  smes  OR  smb  OR  smbs  OR  msme  OR  msmes )  OR  TITLE-ABS-KEY ( micro*  OR  small*  OR  medium*  PRE/3  business*  OR  compan*  OR  enterpris*  OR  firm*  OR  corporation* ) ) 

Another way: A search phrase is made for company words in one search box.

Industry 4.0 words are combined with company words with AND operation.
A search phrase is made for company words in one search box.
Alternative company abbreviations are retrieved using the OR operation.
The terms describing the size are combined with company words in the PRE/3 sequential proximity operation, and parentheses are placed at the beginning and end of the search phrase.

 

Kuvakaappaus Scopuksesta

The search string in Advanced search is >>>

( TITLE-ABS-KEY ( "fourth industrial revolution"  OR  "4th industrial revolution"  OR  "industry 4.0"  OR  "industrial revolution 4.0"  OR  "industrial internet of things"  OR  "industrial iot"  OR  "industrial iots"  OR  i2ot  OR  iiot )  AND  TITLE-ABS-KEY ( sme  OR  smes  OR  smb  OR  smbs  OR  msme  OR  msmes  OR  ( micro*  OR  small*  OR  medium*  PRE/3  business*  OR  compan*  OR  enterpris*  OR  firm*  OR  corporation* ) ) )