InCites - Detailed Review
Research Tools
InCites - Product Overview
Introduction to InCites Benchmarking & Analytics
InCites Benchmarking & Analytics, developed by Clarivate, is a powerful research evaluation tool that plays a crucial role in the analysis of institutional productivity, impact, and collaborations within the academic and scientific communities.
Primary Function
The primary function of InCites is to provide a comprehensive platform for analyzing and evaluating research output. It uses publication information from the Web of Science Core Collection™ to assess the productivity, impact, and collaborative efforts of institutions and researchers. This tool helps institutions make informed decisions about their research programs by offering objective and accurate data analysis.
Target Audience
InCites is primarily targeted at research institutions, universities, and other academic organizations. It is also useful for researchers, librarians, and administrative staff who need to evaluate and benchmark research performance. The tool is particularly beneficial for those involved in research strategy, funding, and evaluation.
Key Features
- Trusted Data: InCites relies on accurate, objective, and complete data from the Web of Science Core Collection™, which is used in a significant majority of major research evaluation initiatives globally.
- Normalized Metrics: The tool offers normalized citation indicators that control for differences in institution size and subject area, allowing for fair comparisons across various research fields.
- Multiple Impact Measures: InCites provides data on publications, patents, and grants, sourced from Web of Science™, Derwent Innovations Index™, and Pivot-RP. This comprehensive approach helps in demonstrating the outcomes of research programs.
- Journal Analytics: It includes journal-level metrics from Journal Citation Reports™, which helps in aligning library intelligence with researcher needs.
- Flexible Reporting: The tool offers both prebuilt reports for novice users and powerful capabilities for analysts, enabling stakeholders to make informed decisions with multiple report options.
- Custom Analysis and Visualizations: Users can create custom analyses and visualizations based on the type of data they need, which can be added to dashboards or shared with other users.
- Integration Capabilities: InCites data can be integrated with other platforms, such as Esploro, to provide a more comprehensive view of research impact and institutional productivity.
In summary, InCites Benchmarking & Analytics is an essential tool for research institutions and individuals seeking to evaluate and improve their research strategies with reliable and comprehensive data.
InCites - User Interface and Experience
User Interface Overview
The user interface of InCites Benchmarking & Analytics is structured to be user-friendly and intuitive, particularly for those involved in research evaluation and strategy development.Landing Page and Modules
The interface is organized around three main modules: Analyze, Report, and Organize. The Analyze module provides an analysis landing page with sample walkthroughs for common use cases, helping users get started quickly. The Report module directs users to a reports landing page where they can access existing reports or create new ones. The Organize module allows users to manage their saved reports and datasets through an updated version of the My Folders page.Analyze Module
The Analyze module features an analysis landing page with sample walkthroughs for common use cases, assisting users in getting started quickly.Report Module
The Report module provides access to existing reports and the capability to create new reports.Organize Module
The Organize module enables users to manage saved reports and datasets through the My Folders page.Data Analysis and Reporting
InCites offers a range of tools for analyzing and reporting research data. Users can generate prebuilt reports or create custom reports using various metrics, such as publications, patents, and grants data sourced from the Web of Science Core Collection™, Derwent Innovations Index™, and Pivot-RP. The platform also provides journal-level metrics from Journal Citation Reports™, allowing for detailed analysis and benchmarking against peers.Ease of Use
The interface is designed to be accessible for both novice and advanced users. For new users, InCites offers a series of guided lessons and video demonstrations that help them get started. These resources include a 30-minute course that covers the essential features needed to begin building analyses. Additionally, the platform provides flexible reporting options, including prebuilt reports for novice users and more advanced capabilities for analysts.User Experience
The overall user experience is enhanced by the integration of various features that streamline the analysis and reporting process. For instance, the My Organization module allows institutions to upload and manage researcher profiles, departments, and publications, reducing administrative burdens. The Author Match Service, which uses a combination of machine learning and human curation, ensures accurate and up-to-date researcher datasets. This feature helps in saving time and effort, making the user experience more efficient.Customization and Collaboration
InCites allows for significant customization, such as creating customized datasets and reports that can be shared with colleagues. The platform supports collaboration through features like the ability to batch export standardized citation reports and integrate data into other systems like Converis, VIVO, and Esploro. This facilitates seamless collaboration and reporting across different departments and teams.Conclusion
In summary, the user interface of InCites Benchmarking & Analytics is structured to be clear, intuitive, and supportive, making it easier for users to analyze and report on research data effectively. The platform’s ease of use and comprehensive features contribute to a positive user experience. InCites - Key Features and Functionality
InCites Benchmarking & Analytics
A research evaluation tool by Clarivate, InCites Benchmarking & Analytics offers several key features that are enhanced by the integration of AI and other advanced analytics techniques. Here are the main features and how they work:
Trusted Data
InCites relies on accurate, objective, and complete data from the Web of Science Core Collection™, which is used in 75% of major research evaluation initiatives globally. This data spans from 1980 to the present day, ensuring comprehensive and reliable insights.
Multiple Impact Measures
The tool provides various metrics to demonstrate research outcomes, including publications, patents, and grants data sourced from Web of Science™, Derwent Innovations Index™, and Pivot-RP. This multi-faceted approach allows for a thorough evaluation of research impact.
Journal Analytics
InCites includes journal level metrics from Journal Citation Reports™, enabling institutions to align library resources with researcher needs. This feature helps in making informed decisions about journal subscriptions and resource allocation.
Normalized Citation Indicators
The tool uses normalized citation indicators that control for differences in institution size and subject area. This ensures fair comparisons across different research fields and institutions, providing a more accurate assessment of research productivity and impact.
Flexible Reporting
InCites offers multiple report options, including prebuilt reports for novice users and advanced capabilities for analysts. This flexibility empowers stakeholders across the institution to make informed decisions based on the data that is most relevant to them.
AI-Driven Research Horizon Navigator
A recent addition to InCites is the Research Horizon Navigator, an AI-native module. This module uses generative AI to identify emerging research topics by labeling each topic with a research theme and providing interactive visualizations that show how papers are connected. It also includes overviews of contributing authors and institutions.
Custom Analysis and Visualizations
Users can create custom analyses based on specific data types and generate various visualizations. These visualizations can be saved to a dashboard or shared with other InCites users, though shared visualizations cannot be edited by recipients.
Objective Analysis
InCites provides publisher-neutral data, ensuring that the analysis is unbiased and based on objective metrics. This allows for confident decision-making about research programs and strategies.
Strategic Insights
The tool offers innovative indicators developed by the Institute for Scientific Information™, helping institutions to be leaders in responsible research evaluation. These indicators provide strategic insights that can guide research strategies and improve overall research performance.
Conclusion
In summary, InCites Benchmarking & Analytics integrates AI, particularly through the Research Horizon Navigator module, to enhance its ability to identify emerging research topics and provide detailed, actionable insights. The tool’s reliance on trusted data, flexible reporting options, and normalized metrics ensures that users can make informed, data-driven decisions about their research programs.
InCites - Performance and Accuracy
Evaluating InCites: Performance and Accuracy in Research Tools
Data Accuracy and Reliability
InCites relies on data from the Web of Science Core Collection, which includes a wide range of publication types such as articles, reviews, and conference proceedings. This data is sourced from various indices like SCIE, SSCI, AHCI, ESCI, and CPCI, ensuring comprehensive coverage across scientific, social, and humanities disciplines. The accuracy of InCites is supported by its use of objective and complete data, which is a crucial factor in research evaluation. This data is publisher-neutral and spans from 1980 to the present day, making it a reliable source for long-term trend analysis and strategic decision-making.Performance Metrics and Analytics
InCites offers a variety of performance metrics and analytics tools. It provides innovative indicators developed by the Institute for Scientific Information, such as normalized citation indicators that control for differences in institution size and subject area. These metrics help in evaluating academic and scientific research outcomes, including publications, patents, and grants.Benchmarking and Strategic Insights
The tool enables users to benchmark their research programs against others, using trusted data that is widely used in major research evaluation initiatives. It offers flexible reporting options, prebuilt reports, and powerful analytical capabilities, which are beneficial for both novice users and experienced analysts. This helps institutions make informed decisions and align their research strategies with actual outcomes.Emerging Topics and Trend Analysis
InCites features an Emerging Topics schema that identifies over 10,000 emerging research topics through co-citation analysis and clustering algorithms. This allows users to track fast-evolving research areas, identify potential future breakthroughs, and make strategic decisions about resource allocation and collaboration.Limitations and Areas for Improvement
While InCites is a powerful tool, there are a few areas where it could be improved:Data Updates
Although the emerging topics are updated monthly, the broader categories are updated annually. More frequent updates to these categories could provide a more dynamic view of long-term shifts in research priorities.User Interface and Accessibility
While the tool offers flexible reporting options, it may require some technical expertise to fully utilize its capabilities. Simplifying the user interface or providing more extensive user support could make it more accessible to a broader range of users.Interdisciplinary Integration
While InCites does a good job of highlighting interdisciplinary connections through its emerging topics schema, further enhancements in integrating data from diverse disciplines could provide even more comprehensive insights. In summary, InCites is a reliable and accurate tool for research evaluation, offering a wide range of metrics and analytics that support strategic decision-making. However, there is room for improvement in terms of update frequencies and user accessibility to ensure it remains a valuable resource for researchers and institutions. InCites - Pricing and Plans
Pricing Structure for InCites Benchmarking & Analytics
The pricing structure for InCites Benchmarking & Analytics, a research evaluation tool by Clarivate, is not explicitly outlined in the provided sources. Here are some key points that can be inferred:
Subscription Model
InCites operates on a subscription model, as it is described as a tool that institutions and users need to have access to through their respective organizations.
Institutional Access
Access to InCites is typically granted through institutional subscriptions. For example, users at the Australian National University (ANU) and the University of Toledo can access InCites using their institutional login credentials.
No Public Pricing Details
There are no publicly available details on the specific pricing tiers or plans for InCites. The information provided focuses more on the features, capabilities, and how to access the tool rather than the cost.
No Free Options
Unlike some other tools, there is no mention of a free version or trial for InCites. Access is generally restricted to authorized users through their institutions.
Contact for More Information
If you are interested in the pricing details, it would be best to contact Clarivate directly or reach out to your institution’s research or library services for more information.
InCites - Integration and Compatibility
InCites Benchmarking & Analytics
InCites Benchmarking & Analytics, a research evaluation tool by Clarivate, integrates with several other tools and systems to provide a comprehensive view of research impact and institutional productivity.
Integration with Esploro
InCites can be integrated with Esploro, a research information management system, to combine their capabilities and provide a detailed view of research impact and institutional productivity. This integration relies on a background job called the “Esploro InCites Metrics Job,” which runs daily to retrieve metrics for newly added records and checks for updates to existing records on a monthly basis. The integrated data is available in Esploro Analytics, allowing users to create custom reports and dashboards using InCites data.
Integration with Research Profile Systems
InCites offers the My Organization module, which allows institutions to upload and manage data on researchers, teams, departments, and publications. This module can integrate with various research profile systems such as Converis, VIVO, and Esploro through the My Organization API. This integration enables seamless data synchronization and reporting across different systems.
Compatibility and Data Sources
InCites uses data from the Web of Science Core Collection™, Derwent Innovations Index™, and Pivot-RP, ensuring that the data is accurate, objective, and complete. This data is publisher-neutral and covers publications, patents, and grants, making it compatible with a wide range of research evaluation initiatives globally.
Technical Compatibility
While specific technical compatibility details such as operating system or device compatibility are not explicitly mentioned, the tool is designed to be flexible and accessible. The integration with Esploro and other research profile systems suggests that InCites is compatible with various software platforms and can be managed through web-based interfaces and APIs.
Summary
In summary, InCites Benchmarking & Analytics integrates well with other research management tools like Esploro and various research profile systems, ensuring a comprehensive and integrated approach to research evaluation. Its compatibility is primarily focused on data integration and reporting rather than specific device or operating system requirements.
InCites - Customer Support and Resources
Support and Resources
Training and Courses
InCites provides several educational resources to help users get started and advance their skills. The “InCites Course” is a series of lessons that guide users through the essential features of the tool. This course is divided into two levels: “Getting Started with InCites: Level 1” and “Expanding your InCites Skills: Level 2,” each taking about 30 minutes to complete. Upon completion, users can download a certificate.Webinars and Forums
InCites hosts regular webinars and forums where users can learn about new features, best practices, and how to address specific analytical needs. These sessions are often recorded and made available for later viewing. For example, the InCites Forums cover topics such as creating template reports, analyzing emerging research trends, and effective ways to simplify internal reporting.Prebuilt Reports and Guided Tours
The tool offers prebuilt reports for novice users as well as more advanced capabilities for analysts. Users can follow guided tours within InCites to practice and reinforce their learning.Documentation and FAQs
InCites provides extensive documentation, including FAQs, to help users resolve common issues and understand the tool’s various features. The FAQs cover a wide range of topics, from getting started to advanced analytical techniques.Customer Support Contact
For specific inquiries or to request coverage of particular topics, users can contact the InCites team directly. For instance, to suggest a topic or become a speaker at an InCites Forum, users can reach out to varvara.sosedova@clarivate.com.Additional Resources
Users have access to various additional resources, such as video demonstrations and links to support pages. These resources include tutorials on how to upload datasets, create customized reports, and analyze data effectively. There are also links to the Web of Science Learning center for further learning opportunities.Data Integration and Management
InCites integrates with other Clarivate tools, such as the My Organization module, which allows institutions to upload and manage researcher profiles, departments, and publications. This module helps in creating standardized datasets without the need for manual validation by researchers. The Author Match Service further simplifies this process by matching researchers to their publications using a combination of machine learning and human curation.Community Engagement
Users can engage with the InCites community through forums and webinars, where they can share experiences, provide feedback, and learn from other users. This community engagement helps in maximizing the impact of InCites by sharing best practices and new workflows. By leveraging these support options and resources, users of InCites Benchmarking & Analytics can ensure they are making the most of the tool’s capabilities to inform their research strategies and evaluations. InCites - Pros and Cons
Advantages of InCites Benchmarking & Analytics
Comprehensive Data Analysis
InCites offers a robust platform for analyzing research productivity, impact, and collaborations using data from the Web of Science Databases. It includes all academic disciplines, with a stronger focus and more detailed sub-field data for STEM fields.
Normalized Metrics
One of the key benefits is the ability to use and compare normalized metrics, which account for what is expected in the same year, subject area, journal, or publication type. This allows for fair comparisons across different research areas using percentages rather than absolute values.
Flexible Reporting
InCites provides multiple report options, including prebuilt reports for novice users and advanced capabilities for analysts. This flexibility empowers stakeholders to make informed decisions with various visualizations and dashboards.
Collaboration Insights
The tool offers detailed analysis of research collaborations, allowing users to identify influential researchers, monitor collaboration activity, and assess the impact of domestic and international collaborations.
Funding and Impact Analysis
InCites enables users to analyze funding agency data, demonstrate the impact of sponsored research, and identify trends to inform future funding proposals. It also tracks contributions to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
Author and Institution Management
The My Organization module allows institutions to upload and manage researcher profiles, departments, and publications, ensuring accurate and standardized data without the need for manual curation. The Author Match Service further simplifies this process by matching researchers to their publications.
Integration Capabilities
InCites data can be integrated with other systems such as Converis, VIVO, and Esploro, facilitating seamless reporting and analysis across the organization.
Disadvantages of InCites Benchmarking & Analytics
Subscription Requirements
InCites is a subscription-based service, which means users need to be authorized and have access through their institution to use the tool. This can limit accessibility for those without the necessary subscription.
Data Limitations
While InCites includes data from 1980 to the present, it excludes content published prior to 1980 that is available in the Web of Science Core Collection. Additionally, Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI) records are excluded by default, although they can be included by selecting the “with ESCI” option.
Fixed Citation Counts
Citation counts in InCites are fixed when the Web of Science Core Collection data is extracted, which can lead to discrepancies with real-time citation counts available in the Web of Science Core Collection.
Dependence on Web of Science Data
InCites relies on data from the Web of Science Databases, which means any limitations or biases in the Web of Science data will also be reflected in InCites analyses.
Technical and Administrative Burden
While the My Organization module and Author Match Service simplify data management, there is still a need for some administrative effort to ensure accurate and up-to-date researcher profiles and publication data.
By understanding these advantages and disadvantages, users can better leverage InCites Benchmarking & Analytics to enhance their research evaluation and strategy development.
InCites - Comparison with Competitors
Unique Features of InCites Benchmarking & Analytics
- Benchmarking and Comparative Analysis: InCites allows institutions to benchmark their research performance against peer universities, analyzing indicators such as citation impact, collaborations, and funding outcomes. This is particularly useful for strategic planning and demonstrating research impact.
- Trusted and Objective Data: InCites relies on data from the Web of Science Core Collection™, providing accurate, objective, and complete data that is used in 75% of major research evaluation initiatives globally.
- Collaboration Impact Indicators: The tool includes a suite of collaboration impact indicators, such as Collab-CNCI, which helps evaluate the influence of research collaborations on overall impact.
- Innovative Indicators and Reporting: InCites offers normalized citation indicators that control for differences in institution size and subject area, along with flexible reporting options and prebuilt reports for various stakeholders.
Potential Alternatives
LitMaps and Connected Papers
- These tools are more focused on literature mapping and visualizing the connections between research papers. LitMaps generates a visual literature map from a single relevant paper, while Connected Papers creates graphs showing how different papers are related. These tools are helpful for literature reviews but do not offer the same level of institutional benchmarking and strategic insights as InCites.
Inciteful
- Inciteful provides related papers to key articles and illustrates their relationships, which is useful for multi-disciplinary research. However, it lacks the comprehensive benchmarking and analytical capabilities of InCites.
Elicit
- Elicit is an AI research assistant that helps optimize database searching by suggesting related questions, subject headings, and keywords. While it aids in the research process, it does not provide the same level of institutional performance analysis and benchmarking as InCites.
Consensus
- Consensus is an AI-powered academic search engine that provides summaries and consensus metrics from a vast database of peer-reviewed papers. It is excellent for literature reviews and identifying academic consensus but does not offer the institutional-level analytics and benchmarking features of InCites.
Key Differences
- Scope of Analysis: InCites is geared towards institutional and publisher-level analysis, focusing on benchmarking, strategic planning, and demonstrating research impact. Other tools like LitMaps, Connected Papers, and Consensus are more focused on individual research projects and literature reviews.
- Data Sources: InCites draws from the Web of Science Core Collection™, providing a broad and trusted dataset. Other tools may use different databases or have more limited data sources.
- Collaboration Analysis: InCites offers detailed collaboration impact indicators, which are not a primary feature of the other tools mentioned.
InCites - Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions about InCites Benchmarking & Analytics
What is InCites Benchmarking & Analytics?
InCites Benchmarking & Analytics is a research evaluation tool that helps institutions analyze and evaluate their research programs using trusted, publisher-neutral data from the Web of Science Core Collection™. It provides insights into productivity, impact, and collaborations to inform strategic decisions.
What data sources does InCites use?
InCites relies on data from the Web of Science Core Collection™, as well as other sources like the Derwent Innovations Index™ and Pivot-RP. This data includes publications, patents, and grants, allowing for a comprehensive analysis of research outcomes.
How can InCites help in benchmarking against peers?
InCites allows institutions to benchmark their performance against peer universities using various indicators developed by the Institute for Scientific Information™. This includes normalized citation indicators that control for differences in institution size and subject area, enabling fair comparisons.
What types of reports can be generated using InCites?
InCites offers both prebuilt reports for novice users and powerful capabilities for analysts. Users can create custom analyses, visualizations, and dashboards to summarize research output and impact. These reports can be shared with other InCites users, although they cannot be edited by the recipients.
How does InCites handle collaboration impact analysis?
InCites includes a suite of collaboration impact indicators, such as Collab-CNCI, which helps evaluate the influence of research collaborations versus research quality. This tool allows users to balance domestic and international collaboration partners and align policies and funding to prioritize high-impact collaborations.
Can InCites be used to track progress toward specific goals, such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals?
Yes, InCites includes functionality to search and evaluate research according to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. This allows institutions to track their contributions to these goals and demonstrate the impact of their research in this context.
How does InCites integrate with other systems?
InCites can integrate with various systems such as Esploro, VIVO, and Converis through APIs. This integration enables the seamless transfer of data and metrics, allowing for more comprehensive reporting and analysis across different platforms.
What is the My Organization module in InCites?
The My Organization module allows institutions to upload and manage data on researchers, teams, departments, and publications. This module helps in creating accurate researcher profiles with minimal administrative burden and integrates metrics and reporting across the organization.
How often is the data in InCites updated?
The data in InCites is updated regularly, with some metrics updated monthly. For example, the Author Match Service updates researcher datasets three times a year to reflect any changes.
Can InCites be used by R&D corporations?
Yes, InCites can be beneficial for R&D corporations as well. It helps in identifying key opinion leaders, verifying expertise for new recruitment, pinpointing centers of excellence, and identifying academic labs for collaboration. It also allows monitoring of investments in specific topic areas and tracking of competitors’ funding activities.
How do I get started with using InCites?
Users can get started with InCites through self-paced learning tools available in the learning center. Additionally, existing users of EndNote Web, Web of Science, or Journal Citation Reports can use their login credentials to access InCites.
InCites - Conclusion and Recommendation
Final Assessment of InCites Benchmarking & Analytics
InCites Benchmarking & Analytics, developed by Clarivate, is a comprehensive research evaluation tool that offers a wide range of benefits for academic and research institutions. Here’s a detailed assessment of who would benefit most from using it and an overall recommendation.Key Benefits
Trusted and Objective Data
InCites relies on accurate, objective, and complete data from the Web of Science Core Collection™, which is used in 75% of major research evaluation initiatives globally. This ensures that decisions are made based on reliable and publisher-neutral data.
Strategic Insights
The tool provides innovative indicators developed by the Institute for Scientific Information™, allowing for a nuanced evaluation of research performance. It includes normalized citation indicators that adjust for differences in institution size and subject area, enabling fair comparisons across various fields.
Flexible Reporting
InCites offers multiple report options, including prebuilt reports for novice users and advanced capabilities for analysts. This flexibility empowers stakeholders across the institution to make informed decisions.
Collaboration Analysis
The tool allows for the assessment of domestic and international collaborations, helping institutions understand which partnerships yield the highest impact. The new collaboration impact indicators, such as Collab-CNCI, provide a balanced view of collaboration influence versus research quality.
Funding Outcomes and Strategic Planning
InCites helps in demonstrating the impact of sponsored research, identifying trends, and informing future funding proposals. It also enables benchmarking against peer institutions and assessing contributions to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Researcher and Department Evaluation
The My Organization module allows institutions to upload and manage researcher profiles, departments, and publications, facilitating granular assessment reporting. The Author Match Service further streamlines this process by matching researchers to their publications using a combination of machine learning and human curation.
Who Would Benefit Most
InCites Benchmarking & Analytics is particularly beneficial for:University Leadership and Research Offices
These entities can use the tool to evaluate research performance, benchmark against peer institutions, and inform academic research strategies.
Researchers and Academic Departments
By analyzing productivity, impact, and collaborations, researchers and departments can identify areas of strength and opportunities for improvement.
Funding Agencies and Grant Writers
InCites helps in demonstrating funding outcomes and identifying trends, which is crucial for strategic proposal development and securing future funding.
Libraries and Information Services
The tool aligns library intelligence with researcher needs using journal level metrics from Journal Citation Reports™, helping libraries optimize their resources.
Overall Recommendation
InCites Benchmarking & Analytics is a highly recommended tool for any academic or research institution seeking to evaluate and enhance their research programs. Its ability to provide trusted, objective data and strategic insights makes it an invaluable resource for informed decision-making. The flexibility in reporting, comprehensive collaboration analysis, and the ability to assess funding outcomes and researcher performance make it a versatile and essential tool in the research landscape.For institutions looking to optimize their research strategies, build strong collaborations, and demonstrate the impact of their research, InCites Benchmarking & Analytics is an excellent choice. Its integration with other Clarivate tools and databases further enhances its utility, making it a central component of any comprehensive research evaluation framework.