Science Citation Index (SCI)

Teaching Points

• Unique type of searching, based on the culture of science

If you use someone's work, you cite it in your paper

• Can trace forward in time from a basic work to see how it has been used

Pauling, Chemical Bond - written in 1930, cited today!

• Keyword and author searches are also possible

Because SCI covers approximately 3,000 of the most important journals in all science, engineering, math, and some medical areas, it is an excellent source for interdisciplinary topics

• Can locate "related" articles (in CD-ROM and some online versions.) "Related" articles share the same footnotes, so are likely to be on the same topic.
• Many authors enjoy seeing how many times they have been cited and by whom

Citation counts can be misleading

• Citations are indexed by first author listed in some SCI databases.  This is not true on Web of Science - the web version of Science Citation Index..
• No verification of citations is done - many errors exist in the database
• Authors cite themselves so counts may be inflated
• Citations are taken from only 3000 journals.  If an article is not cited in one of the more important journals it is not listed.

Teaching Materials

This database is expensive, both in print and online, and may not be available in your institution. However teaching materials exist which can give students a flavor for this unique and valuable database.  (Go Live)

• Primer on Citation Searching with Sample Searches
      From ISI's web site; includes examples from the Web and CD versions of Science Citation Index
• Citation Index materials from the CCIIM Clearinghouse
• Lecture on Science Citation Index
• Practice Questions
• Web of Science (Screen Shots)

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