Product Overview of ScienceDirect
ScienceDirect, launched in 1997, is Elsevier’s premier online platform designed to provide comprehensive access to a vast array of scientific, technical, and health publications. This platform is tailored for researchers, teachers, students, healthcare professionals, and information specialists, aiming to enhance their research, teaching, and studies.
Content Coverage
ScienceDirect offers an extensive library of content, including:
- Over 3,800 peer-reviewed journals and more than 35,000 books, covering 24 major disciplines across science, technology, and health.
- Access to over 14 million full-text publications, with a significant average citation share.
- The content is divided into four main areas: physical sciences and engineering, life sciences, health sciences, and social sciences and humanities, with numerous subcategories such as chemical engineering, materials science, biochemistry, medicine, and more.
Key Features and Functionality
Search and Discovery
- Users can navigate through a broad array of high-quality journal articles, book chapters, and supplementary data using basic and advanced search functionalities. This includes keyword searching, citation matching, and searching abstracts, author-supplied keywords, authors, and author affiliations.
- The search interface supports standard Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) and allows for refining searches using filters such as publication date, article type, publication title, subject area, and access type (open access or open archive).
Alerts and Updates
- Users can register for multiple alerts, including journal and book series, topic, and search alerts, ensuring they stay updated with the latest developments in their field.
- Advanced access to peer-reviewed articles accepted for publication is available through the “Articles in Press” feature.
Interconnected Content
- ScienceDirect enhances the search experience by connecting users to related content. Features include author pages, topic pages, and recommended articles based on recent searches. This interconnectivity helps users explore related material across different disciplines.
Additional Tools and Features
- Users can view, read, and download the 25 most popular articles in over 20 subject areas.
- Links to data repositories and supplementary data supplied by authors are available, enriching the reading experience.
- The platform also includes content from Nobel Laureates and provides access to textbooks and open access content.
User Accounts and Remote Access
- Users can create accounts to save searches, set up alerts, and access their reading history remotely via desktop, laptop, mobile, or tablet. Authentication and access are facilitated through IP address, federated authentication (e.g., Shibboleth, OpenAthens), VPN, proxy server, or secure login via a library website.
Administrative Tools
- For librarians and institutions, ScienceDirect offers an Admin Tool that provides usage statistics and reports, which are COUNTER compliant, focusing on book and journal usage. This helps in managing and optimizing the use of the platform within institutions.
Business Model
ScienceDirect is licensed to academic institutions and organizations via an annual subscription. The costs vary, and there are multiple purchasing options available. Individuals can also purchase articles or book chapters directly from the platform.
In summary, ScienceDirect is a powerful tool for academic and professional communities, offering a deep and broad range of content, advanced search functionalities, and interconnected features that enhance research, teaching, and studies across various disciplines.