Gusenbauer 2024b

Appraisal of: Gusenbauer M. Beyond Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science: An evaluation of the backward and forward citation coverage of 59 databases' citation indices.
Reviewer(s): 

Annalena Dunkel
Elke Hausner

Full Reference: 

Gusenbauer M. Beyond Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science: An evaluation of the backward and forward citation coverage of 59 databases' citation indices. Res Synth Methods. 2024 Sep;15(5):802-817. doi: 10.1002/jrsm.1729. Epub 2024 Jun 14.

Short description: 

This study evaluates the citation coverage of 59 databases' citation indices, highlighting the strengths and limitations of key citation indices such as Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science for backward and forward citation searching.

Therefore 259 journal articles from across disciplines were analyzed with the aim of guiding scholars in selecting indices with broader document coverage and more accurate and comprehensive backward and forward citation links.

Key findings highlight Google Scholar, ResearchGate, Semantic Scholar, and Lens as leading options for forward citation searching. For backward citation searching, the Web of Science Core Collection can be recommended over Scopus for accuracy.

Limitations stated by the author(s): 

1. The analysis does not take into account the varying citation frequencies in different academic disciplines.

2. The analysis was based on journal articles. Other types of documents, such as conference papers, dissertations, or gray literature, were not considered in this study.
3. The study did not address the detailed composition of BWC or FWC information, nor did it address the overlap between different citation indexes.

Limitations stated by the reviewer(s): 

It is very difficult to understand exactly how the scores used were calculated and what significance they have as a result. 

Study Type: 

Single study

Related Chapters: 

Value of using different search approaches
Clinical effectiveness

Tags: 

• Databases

• Citation searching