How to Search for Articles in Scopus, Web of Science, and Business Source Premier (EBSCO): A Step-by-Step Guide for Systematic Literature Reviews

#Conducting Article Search in Scopus

1. Access Scopus: Go to the Scopus website. Log in if required (your institution may provide access).

2. Navigate to Search: Select the ‘Documents’ tab. This is the default search page.

3. Enter Search String: Paste your prepared search string into the main search box. You can use Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT), wildcards (*), and phrase searching (“”).

4. Set Filters/Fields: Select search field (e.g., title, abstract, keywords) or leave as ‘All fields’ for broad search.

5. Apply Date and Subject Area Filters: Use the sidebar to specify publication years, subject areas, document types, and languages as needed.

6. Run Search: Click ‘Search’ to view results.

7. Screen and Export Results: Review articles, mark relevant ones, and use the ‘Export’ button to download data (CSV, Excel, RIS, etc.) for your review software (e.g., EndNote, Mendeley).

#Conducting Article Search in Web of Science (WoS)

1. Access Web of Science: Go to the Web of Science website. Log in via your institution if necessary.

2. Go to Search: Select ‘Web of Science Core Collection’ for the most comprehensive search.

3. Enter Search String: Paste your search string into the search bar. Use Boolean operators and wildcards. Choose field tags (e.g., Topic, Title, Author).

4. Set Filters: Use options under ‘Refine Results’ to filter by year, subject category, document type, language, etc..

5. Run Search: Click ‘Search’ to display results.

6. Export Results: Select desired articles. Click ‘Export’ to save citations/data in various formats (EndNote, CSV, etc.) for further analysis.

#Step-by-step process for searching on Business Source Premier (EBSCO):

1. Access and Login

• Go to your institution’s library portal or directly to EBSCOhost.

• Choose “Business Source Premier” from the list of databases.

• Log in using your institutional or library credentials if required.

2. Basic or Advanced Search

• Use the Basic Search for quick keyword searches.

• Use Advanced Search to combine multiple concepts, set field-specific searches (e.g., title, author), or use Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT).

3. Enter Your Search String

• Type or paste your search string or keywords into the search box.

• You can use quotation marks for phrases, Boolean operators to combine terms, and truncation (e.g., sustainab*) for variations.

• In Advanced Search, each line can represent a different concept or term.

4. Apply Filters/Limiters

• Set limiters before or after searching:
• Full Text
• Peer Reviewed
• Publication Date Range
• Source type (e.g., Academic Journals, Magazines, Reports)
• Subject terms

• Filters are typically on the left panel after search.

5. Review Results

• Browse through titles and summaries in your results list.

• Click article titles or full-text (PDF/HTML) links to access content.

6. Export/Cite/Save

• Select articles, export citations (to Excel, EndNote, RIS, etc.), or email/download full texts.

• Use the citation tool for quick references in different citation styles.

Tips for All Databases

• Use Boolean Logic: Combine search terms using AND, OR, NOT for precise results.

• Test and Refine: Run sample searches first to ensure relevancy, then modify your search string if needed.

• Document Search Steps: Keep records of your search strings, databases, and filters used for transparency in your systematic review.

• Do not use ”title, abstract, keyword (TITLE-ABS-KEY )” Filter for WoS & EBSCO database search

• For Duplicate removal, export final results of all databases bibtex in Zotero and combine them in a folder to remove duplicate.