Book Citation Index - short trial; please offer feedback
19 July 2012
The Library has taken out a trial to the Book Citation Index from Thomson Reuters. The trial will run until 14th August. This database could be a useful acquisition to complement Journal Citation Reports. It covers 30,000 editorially selected books since 2005 with 10,000 added each year. The value of the Book Citation Index is that it allows researchers to identify and access the most relevant books in a particular subject. Searched as part of Web of Science, Book Citation Index "allows users to search seamlessly across books, journals and conference proceedings to find the information most relevant to their work within one platform". The Book Citation Index allows the researcher to see who is citing their work, what other literature is being referenced and from this information potential collaborators can be identified.The database can be accessed (on campus only) through Web of Science. Search as normal or limit to Book Citation Index Science (2005-) or Social Sciences and Humanities (2005-).
Book Citation Index doesn’t support any one subject area but could be an important tool for a variety of researchers using books, and in supporting PBRF. Budgets for new databases such as this one are very tight and it is crucial we get feedback on this tool in order to gauge whether a subscription can be justified. Please help by taking a look at the database and completing the short evaluation form.
