Basic Searching: When searching in Scopus, the database will automatically search in the fields Article Title, Abstract, and Keywords. You can develop a search line-by-line and adjust the field for each line. This will create a more targeted and specific search.
Advanced Searching & Field Codes: In the Advanced Document Search, you can construct more complex searches from scratch using a menu of Boolean Operators and Field Codes. Examples of Field Codes are TITLE and AUTHOR-NAME. Searching for TITLE(diabetes) would tell the database to search for all articles that contain the word ‘diabetes’ in the title. Searching for AUTHOR-NAME(David) tells the database to search for all the articles written by anyone with the last name ‘David’. You can easily explore other field codes where you see TITLE and AUTHOR-NAME listed.
Filters: Scopus has filters that can help you refine your search. Date ranges, language, and document type are a few common filters.
Example Research Topic Question: Does a plant-based diet lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes?
| Keyword Searching | ||
| Major Concept | Keywords | Searching Multiple Keywords at once |
| Diabetes | Diabetes, diabetes mellitus, type 2 diabetes | Diabetes OR “diabetes mellitus” OR “type 2 diabetes” |
| Plant-Based Diet | Plant-based eating, plant-based diet, plant-based nutrition | “Plant-based eating" OR “plant-based diet” OR “plant-based nutrition” |
Example of basic search: Diabetes AND "plant based diet"
| Title Abstract Keyword Searching | ||
| Major Concept | Keywords | Searching specifically in Title, Abstract & Keyword Fields |
| Diabetes | Diabetes, diabetes mellitus, type 2 diabetes | TITLE-ABS-KEY(diabetes) OR TITLE-ABS-KEY(“diabetes mellitus”) OR TITLE-ABS-KEY(“type 2 diabetes”) |
| Plant-Based Diet | Plant-based eating, plant-based diet, plant-based nutrition | TITLE-ABS-KEY(“plant-based eating”) OR TITLE-ABS-KEY(“plant-based diet”) OR TITLE-ABS-KEY(“plant-based nutrition”) |
Example of more advanced search using field codes for searching titles, abstract, and keywords and word proximity: ( TITLE-ABS-KEY ( diabetes ) ) AND ( TITLE-ABS-KEY ( "plant-based" ) W/2 ( diet OR eat* OR nutrition ) )
The design of this page was partly adapted from Research: By Course, Subject, or Topic, by University of Arizona Libraries, © 2020 The Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of The University of Arizona, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.