Database Guide - Scopus

Scopus is an abstract and citation database curated by independent subject matter experts who are recognized leaders in their fields.

Scopus includes:

• Over 84 million records
• Over 270 thousand active serial titles
• Over 240 thousand books
• 17.6 million author profiles
• Items from over 7,000 publishers

You can use Scopus to find articles for your research, view author profiles, and find the most highly cited journals and articles in your field. 

• Go to LibrarySearch 
  
  
• Log in using your CCCU username and password. If you are away from campus, or connecting with your own device over Wi-Fi, you will need to include @canterbury.ac.uk after your CCCU username.
  
  
• Select Find Databases, then click on S, finally click on the link to Scopus to open it in a new tab.

In Scopus, click on the question mark inside the circle, near the top right of the screen and then click on 'Tutorials' - this will take you to a collection of videos about how to use Scopus. You can also go directly to the tutorials page.

Try searching Scopus by following the steps outlined below. You’ll practice using some of the most common functions and be ready to search for information for your assignments. For best results, follow the video tutorials on the Scopus webpages.

1.  Enter your search terms into the search box. In Scopus, curly brackets are used to indicate an exact phrase, while quotation marks indicate an approximate or loose phrase.
   
   
2. For more information on setting up a search query in Scopus, you can select 'search tips' on the right side of the screen.
   
   
3. The default search fields include article title, abstract, and keywords. Select the down arrow to find a menu of other fields within which to search. For an initial search, you can keep the defaults and select the Search button below.
   
   
4. By default, the results are sorted by date. You can use the drop-down menu on the upper right to sort in a different order. You can refine your results using the menu on the left.
   
   
5. Find an interesting article from your results list and see if you can access the full-text of the the article.
   
   
6. Reflect on the type of information appearing in your search. How will you use this information in your assignments? How could you make your search more specific?

You can view Elsevier's (owners of Scopus) accessibility policy on the Elsevier webpages.

Your Learning and Research Librarian will be able to help you make the best use of online resources. For detailed guidance, book a tutorial via the Learning Skills Hub.