Import of bibliographic data from Scopus

Owned by Monika Fiedorowicz
Last updated: Jan 01, 2024 by Henryk Rybinski
3 min read

A very effective way to populate the KB is to download bibliographic data from the Scopus database (available from version 2.0.x). The process of loading BW with data from Scopus can be carried out in an installation that has access to the Scopus database API (any University that has a license to the Scopus database can register and receive an access key). If there is access to the Scopus database, such a process can be carried out according to the following scheme:

  1. A connection to the Scopus database should be made for each researcher at the university;

  2. Run the procedure for loading data from the Scopus database

  3. Conduct an analysis of the data obtained

 

Step (1) can be performed

  1. By editors,

  2. You can also start the process of connecting researchers to the Scopus database by the researchers themselves (crowdsourcing).

In case there are no communication channels with the authors yet, option (a) is simpler. However, if employees have the ability to log into the database, this action can be implemented according to option (b), as this procedure is very simple and does not require deep technical knowledge.

In both cases, linking an author to the Scopus database is implemented from the author's profile (authors must be correctly loaded into BW). A detailed description of the procedure for connecting an author's profile to the Scopus database is presented in the User's Guide section 2.4.2.2 (2019 version). It is a good idea that if an author has multiple profiles in the Scopus database, Library staff should submit a request to Scopus to merge these profiles before the merge is performed.

Step (2) is performed from the menu Auxiliary Functions → Authors and Employees.

On the author search screen, you can check the Scopus ID flag and verify to what extent step (1) has been implemented. You can also implement this step in parts, e.g., limit authors with connection by affiliation (e.g., implement this process by departments).

If of the selected authors is accepted you should (Fig. 10.2):

  • Make a selection of authors (all using the icon, or by checking a specific box next to the author)

  • select the import function from Scopus (first 3 vertical dots on the search results bar, then the import option).

 

image-20231231-181622.png
Figure 5.1 Search for authors linked to Scopus database
image-20231231-182458.png
Figure 5.2 Running a "bulk" import from the Scopus database

 

After launching the import option, the data import screen appears with import parameters.

On this screen you can specify the period (from - to) from which you want to import publications and specify the import parameters:

  1. As for duplicate records found in the Scopus database and already existing in the knowledge base, the following parameters can be assumed:

    1. skip - during import the system will ignore duplicates

    2. overwrite - the system will overwrite the records in the knowledge base with the corresponding records from the Scopus database

    3. ask the user - the user, after viewing both records, will decide how to proceed

  2. In case you are not sure how to connect authors, journal, etc., parameters are possible:

    1. Ask the user - this is a request to resolve doubts about authorship or other connections;

    2. Skip - in this case the system will skip the record with doubt and there will be no stoppage of the import process

    3. Save without resolving doubt - in this case, the record will be saved with the best match (also without stopping the import process

  3. Setting the Collective author Threshold parameter causes that when the number of authors is below the threshold, they are all recorded as individual authors. When the number of authors is greater than the threshold, the author list is treated, as a collective author. From this list, the first author and all authors of the unit will be rewritten to individual authors;

  4. When importing, you can

    1. update external publication identifiers (identifiers in the Scopus database) - parameter "Update external identifiers";

    2. update publication rates (citations)

    3. set the status of the imported record.

      .

After setting these parameters and starting the import, the system shows a list of records found in the Scopus database. The editor can select individual records for import or select that all records are to be imported.