If you’re actively publishing research papers then you should be aware of the importance of your author profile page in Scopus.
Scopus is the leading citation database for peer reviewed work and is used extensively to:
- identify potential co-authors and project partners
- generate research metrics and inform University-wide reporting and promotion reports.
However, data in Scopus can be subject to some common quality issues. The algorithm used to attribute work to author profile pages can make errors which could mean:
- your research is attributed to someone else or not indexed
- your citation and research metrics are artificially low
- your research output split is across multiple profiles, making it hard to find
- your work is not correctly affiliated with the University or your department.
As your Scopus profile has a significant impact on the visibility of your work, the Library is reviewing the data quality of every academic’s Scopus profile.
You will have received a personalised review identifying issues affecting your profile and the actions you need to take to correct them. Many thanks to those of you who have already actioned this. If you have not yet done so, I strongly encourage you to look at your profile review as soon as possible and follow the suggested actions. The University’s expectation is for every member of publishing staff to have registered for an ORCID and linked it to their Scopus page before the end of January.
To help you maximise the impact of your Scopus profile and make corrections, the Library is offering a range of support. You can:
- watch one of the Library’s 60-second videos on how to make corrections to your Scopus profile and/or register for an ORCID.
- book a one to one 30 minute appointment with a librarian. In this session, the librarian will review your profile with you, check all your qualifying publications have been indexed, and make correction requests to Scopus on your behalf.
- attend an online workshop entitled “Missing Papers and Messy Metrics: How to Find and Fix Your Scopus Profile”. This workshop will teach you how to find your Scopus profile and make any necessary corrections.
- email the Library team with any queries about your profile review and any queries you have about your profile.
In addition to Scopus, there are a number of other straightforward ways to make your publishing and citation data work more effectively for you, for example using Google Scholar and ensuring that your ORCID identifier is always on your publications.
ORCID iD is used globally by researchers, publishers, research organisations and funders, it improves recognition for you and your research and helps make connections. By reliably and easily connecting you with your contributions and affiliations, it gains recognition for all your research and innovation across disciplines and organisations – and reduces form filling.
Google Scholar also allows you to see who’s citing your work. This is as simple as setting up your own profile page and listing your publications. Google Scholar can also help with your external profile, as it is an important tool for searching the literature. For example, in a survey of PhD students, it was identified as the most common way that they search the literature.
Reviewing your Scopus profile, linking it to your ORCID and creating a Google Scholar profile not only helps the University, but it can also help with your external profile and cases for promotion.
I strongly encourage you to engage with this project and take advantage of the Library’s support. This will help you to evidence your strengths, develop your publishing strategy and make connections.
Kind regards,
Sarah
