Web of Science (WoS; previously known as Web of Knowledge) is an online subscription-based scientific citation indexing service. Maintained by Thomson Reuters, it provides a comprehensive citation search. Depending on the subscription model, WoS gives access to multiple databases which reference cross-disciplinary research, allowing for in-depth exploration of specialised sub-fields within an academic or scientific discipline.
The WoS citation index is based on the fact that citations in science serve as links between similar research items, pointing researchers to matching or related scientific literature (journal articles, conference proceedings, abstracts, etc).
By availing of a citation index, a user may identify the literature having the greatest impact in a particular discipline (or in more than one field). A paper's influence is determined by linking to all the papers by which it has been cited. By this means, current trends, patterns and emerging fields of research may be identified and and assessed.
WoS may be accessed here.
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