If you plan on conducting any data mining activity, such as a systematic literature review, for example, then you must register for a free API key from Elsevier so that your account will not be blocked in relation to data mining. More information can be found using the link below.
Elsevier (the publisher behind ScienceDirect) provides a range of video tutorials including:
Elsevier/ScienceDirect use strict publishing standards that guarantee content is of the highest quality.
Publications, such as journal articles, books, book chapters and conference proceedings, are subjected to rigorous peer review by editorial boards comprised of recognised subject experts in a particular field of research.
ScienceDirect is a large, multidisciplinary database that provides access to scholarly research in the following subject areas:
Basic Search
ScienceDirect offers a basic/quick search option at the top of the homepage. This should only be used when looking for specific information, such as a specific journal title, for example, or if you are searching for journal articles by a particular author.
Advanced Search
The Advanced Search option allows you to use a range of search techniques resulting in a more effective search strategy and better search results (particularly when searching for material by keywords and/or phrases). These include:
Phrase search: including the terms in in quotation marks to ensure they appear together (e.g. "supply chain management")
Boolean searching:
AND - narrows down the results. All connected terms must be included in the results (e.g. logistics AND "supply chain").
OR - broadens out the results and is useful when looking for alternative terms or synonyms. Either connected term can be included in the results (e.g. logistics OR "supply chain").
NOT - narrows down the results. The second term is excluded from the results (e.g. logistics innovation NOT "supply chain").
Truncation/wildcard symbols, such as adding an asterisk * to find variations of word endings (e.g. leader*). Please note that this feature is not currently supported by ScienceDirect and therefore should not be used.
The Advanced Search option also allows you to select the fields that you wish to search, such as All fields (including full text) or Title, abstract or author-specified keywords only (recommended unless you are searching for something very specific). You can also restrict the results of your search to a specific date range or limit by Article Type, such as Review or Research articles only, for example.
Please click on Search tips? at the top left hand side of the Advanced Search screen for more detailed information.
Access to Full Text
Please note that UWS Library does not have a subscription to all of the full text content in ScienceDirect (so even if you are logged in you will not be able to view the full text of all of the journal articles or book chapters that are found as a result of your search).
If an article is not available via our subscription, it is possible that a free copy may be available online, usually under the terms of an open access agreement. This can be checked using a search engine such as Google Scholar. Type in details of the article you require (authors' names, title of article in quotation marks etc.). If the article is freely available, you will see a PDF or HTML notification to the right of the citation.
You may also be able to get the article by requesting an Interlibrary Loan (ILL). Please note that certain restrictions apply.
To access ScienceDirect click on the link below, and then click on the link to ScienceDirect.
Log in with your UWS username and password:
Staff ID/Password (staff)
Banner ID/Password (students)
Library staff can help you to use all of our online databases and ejournal services, including ScienceDirect.
Please contact the Library at: library@uws.ac.uk or via the Self Service Portal.
This work in this guide is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.