Myths and Reality about Publishing in Web of Science and Scopus

Scientific publications – one of the most important components of professional self-realization of a scientist. It is very important to know what these publications should be like so that they are accepted into a reputable publication that is indexed in world-recognized scientometric databases. It is no less important to choose the right publication itself, striving to ensure that its subject matter and specificity fully correspond to the direction and topic of the publication.

1. Web of Science and Scopus: what are the features and what is the difference.
2. Web of Science and Scopus Publications: Expectations and Reality.
3. Why is it more difficult to get into WoS than Scopus?
4. Why WoS May Not Live Up to Expectations.
5. Are WoS publications required to defend a PhD dissertation?
6. Scopus or Web of Science: where to publish a scientific article.

Web of Science and Scopus: What are the Features and What is the Difference

Web of Science and Scopus – two of the world’s largest scientometric databases. Scopus is a younger database, but its rapid development has enabled this database to take first place in the world in terms of scale and quantity of posted content. In order to navigate the search for materials and journals that are suitable for you, indexed in Scopus, a researcher should study how the percentile and quartile system functions. It is this that determines how a publication will be displayed, how rated it will be for articles on a specific topic, and whether it makes sense to collaborate with a particular journal.

The Web of Science database is older than Scopus. It is the second largest in the world in terms of the amount of content stored there. It can be said that Web of Science and Scopus are two giants of the scientific field, which scientists around the world look up to.

Although Web of Science is more difficult to get into, materials there are generally indexed faster than in Scopus.

Web of Science and Scopus Publications: Expectations and Reality

Sometimes researchers who are just starting out think about whether they should publish materials in Web of Science, given that it can sometimes be quite expensive. Experts say that the result can really be different, since everything depends on how competently the scientist approaches this issue and whether he understands how the database functions.

Web of Science has been operating since 1961. It has about 2 and a half hundred directions alone. This resource is characterized by a fairly strict content selection system. It is this that ensures that high-quality scientific materials are included in the database. The consequence is the indisputable authority of Web of Science among specialists in various fields of science around the world. This database may be of interest to:

     💡scientists;

     💡teachers;

     💡graduate students and all those who belong to the world of science.

This database publishes research from all continents, and in total it covers 120 countries.

One of the common myths about the Web of Science platform is that it is supposedly purely technical. This is not true. The database is multidisciplinary and quite universal. The authority of the database is the reason why many representatives of the scientific world strive to publish materials in it.

If we talk about Web of Science in the context of expectations and reality, then young researchers often perceive publications on this platform as something easy and something that will immediately bring them many additional bonuses for their future scientific work. But this approach does not take into account one important circumstance - careful selection of materials. If the article is not relevant, it may simply not get into Web of Science. If we consider Scopus in this context, then it is somewhat easier to publish your material there, although there are also a number of selection criteria. Probably, it was this factor that contributed to the fact that the Scopus database, having appeared in the 2000s, so quickly scaled up to the status of the largest in the world.

Why is it harder to get into WoS than Scopus

There are several criteria that make it more difficult to get into the Web of Science than into Scopus. At the same time, there are also a number of difficulties for scientists. They are as follows:

     💡more rigidly structured editorial policy;

     💡high price range;

     💡English language orientation;

     💡difficulty of navigation on this Internet resource;

     💡deeper citation and retrospective analysis;

     💡lack of accounting for articles in Ukrainian and Russian languages, which negatively affects citation.

It is worth considering each of these factors in more detail. As for the high price range, it is indeed impressive. The average price for a publication exceeds $500. In some cases, it can even be a sum with 3 zeros.

The English-language orientation is a certain difficulty for Ukrainian scientists. Especially if we take into account that not all researchers know English. When preparing materials, sometimes it is necessary to use the services of translators, which can hardly be called cheap if we are talking about highly specialized translation.

Navigating the site is not easy. Its internal search engine is quite confusing. If the user has no experience, he may initially get lost and not succeed in finding the materials of interest. In this case, it would be a good idea to ask for help from more experienced colleagues.

The platform’s prestige, on the one hand, attracts scientists, and on the other, sets a high bar to which specialists are forced to strive.

Why WoS May Not Live Up to Expectations

Among the common errors that underlie the unjustified expectations and unsuccessful experiments of some researchers are:

1. Incorrect choice of publication. This applies to cases when the title and focus of the publication do not match the topic of the material that the scientist is preparing. In order for a publication to look relevant, it must correspond to the direction and editorial policy of the publication. Sometimes researchers neglect this requirement and then lament the fact that their relevant and truly high-quality publication is rejected by the platform.
2. Plagiarism. It is better to check your material on several programs at once to avoid such a problem. Indeed, in the scientific world it is often impossible to replace important terms with synonyms or rephrase set phrases. But it is important that the percentage of so-called plagiarism does not exceed the permissible norm. Therefore, it is worth checking your material carefully, even if you did not consciously borrow someone else's thoughts or fragments of content under the guise of your own.
3. Irrelevance and fantasy of the topic. Modern science is characterized by a pragmatic approach. Those studies and thoughts that can really be useful in a practical context and meet the needs of society are valued. The relevance of the topic is extremely important. The object of research should be of real interest to the scientific community. At the same time, the significance of the topic is considered both in theoretical and practical aspects.
4. Ignoring the requirements to the design of the material, which are put forward by a specific publication. Specialists who are just starting their path in science are often mistaken about the universality of such requirements. In fact, they differ among different publications. It is worth taking this fact into account.

If you avoid the mistakes listed above, you can significantly reduce the risk of unsuccessful interaction with the base representatives.

Are WoS publications required to defend a PhD dissertation?

There is no direct indication anywhere that scientists need to publish in WoS. The requirements in this area are quite vague. For example, the regulatory framework of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine stipulates that it is necessary to have at least 1 article in periodicals of other countries that are members of the EU or the Organization for Economic Cooperation. This means that the WoS database is not specifically indicated, but if the article is published there, such a decision will be a big plus, based on the authority of this platform in the scientific world.

Sometimes researchers think it's better to take the easy way out and choose other resources, but such choices often overlook several important aspects:

1. WoS is one of the two most recognized and respected scientometric databases. When a scientist ignores it, he deprives himself of many opportunities to increase his authority in scientific circles.
2. An article in WoS is a way of scientific communication with the world, presenting one’s developments to the community, and an opportunity to be useful and well-known.
3. When a scientist seeks grant support for his projects, in the applications of most projects he indicates where his scientific materials are published. WoS and Scopus become a big plus in this regard and greatly increase the chances of receiving a grant for financial support of his research.
4. Articles on such platforms make the scientist visible to others and provide an opportunity to find like-minded people and partners for possible projects.

Thus, despite the absence of a direct instruction regarding publication in WoS, it is better to opt for such a decision. It may be difficult at the stage of preparing the material, but in a strategic context it will significantly strengthen the professional reputation of the scientist.

There are some difficulties that stand in the way of Ukrainian scientists who want to publish in Web of Science. But knowing them gives an opportunity to better orientate themselves on how to proceed.

🟨The first problem is that if there are foreign translations, references to Ukrainian-language works are not taken into account. This leads to a lower impact factor, thereby reducing the citation rates of an individual author. As a result, the overall picture and statistics do not look objective enough.

🟨The second problem is the imperfection of the database and the system of displaying information in it. For example, consider interdisciplinary journals. It often happens with them that, for example, an article in the field of sociology is displayed in parallel in the sections of psychology and law. This situation creates confusion.

🟨Another problem is that the database either does not read at all or partially materials that are compiled with violations in the list of references. Therefore, you should not think that this part of the article is secondary. It should be treated no less meticulously than the rest of the structure of the material.

Scopus or Web of Science: Where to Publish a Scientific Article

This question is more a matter of personal preference for the scientist. As mentioned above, there is no specific requirement for admission to the defense of a dissertation. What is important is simply an article in a foreign scientific publication that complies with the regulatory framework of the Ministry of Education and Science. Therefore, both options are acceptable. Eloquent proof is that Scopus was able to overtake Web of Science in terms of the scale of increase in the amount of published scientific content. Consequently, this scientometric base is no less relevant.

To sum it up…

The publication of each scientific article is an important step in the life of a scientist. It is good when his work meets the current requirements of scientific publications and provides an opportunity to expand the horizons of professional self-realization. In this case, it is important to choose a worthy platform for publication and format the material in accordance with the requirements it puts forward. In this regard, Web of Science and Scopus are promising solutions.

When you select a publication for publication, pay attention to the following:

1. What is his specialization?
2. How long has the magazine been around?
3. How often does it come out?
4. How much (in material terms) will it cost to place your publication on the pages of the publication?
5. Are there any fees for any additional services other than posting? For example, some publications also charge for proofreading.

Thus, carefulness in preparing an article and choosing a journal will be a big plus for the author. If we sum up the common myths and their refutations related to Web of Science and Scopus, then we can summarize it like this:

1. Both databases are quite authoritative, so the assertion which one is better has no basis.
2. The regulatory documents of the Ministry of Education and Science on preparation for the defense of a candidate's dissertation do not indicate a specific platform for publications. Therefore, the assertion that it is necessarily Web of Science is erroneous.
3. It is quite possible for a Ukrainian scientist to publish his materials in reputable publications on these platforms. Usually, categorical statements about the unavailability of such an opportunity are based on cases where the materials do not meet the requirements of the platforms or the incorrect choice of publications for publication.

Let this information help everyone who strives for their development in the scientific field.