Web of Science is a platform that hosts multiple research databases and provides an interface for searching the literature across various disciplines.
The name "Web of Science" reflects the platform's ability to link an article both to the references that it cited, and to newer articles that cited it. This is valuable for exploring recent research that builds on a classic study in a field, for looking at how an area of study evolved over time, and for finding connections between different aspects of research.
At Ohio State University, we have access to multiple databases on the Web of Science platform.
Among the databases included are the following.
You can choose to search one, some, or all databases at once. Choosing a single database will provide you with search options that are specific to its content. For example, Biosis Previews includes terms for Taxonomic Data and Chemical and Biochemical terms, while the Derwent Innovations Index includes fields for Inventor and Patent Number.
Choosing multiple databases will only provide you with the search fields and options that are common to all of the databases you are searching. Therefore, searching one database at a time may be more effective for advanced or comprehensive searching.
Need help?
More information is available from Web of Science.