Comparing Life Sciences Database Features
This table summarizes features found in databases widely used in the life sciences.
| BIOSIS Previews | Web of Science/ Knowledge | Zoological Record | PsycINFO | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subject scope | Biology (e.g., botany, zoology, microbiology), agriculture, ecology, medicine, pharmacology, biochemistry, biophysics, bioengineering, biotechnology | Wide multidisciplinary coverage of the sciences and social sciences | All aspects of zoology, including behavior, genetics, ecology, evolution | Psychology, psychiatry, education, business, medicine, nursing, pharmacology, law, linguistics, social work |
| Format scope | Journal articles, book chapters, meeting publications, conference proceedings, patents | Journal articles, reviews, corrections, discussions, letters, meeting abstracts | Journal articles, newsletters, books, reviews, conference proceedings | Journal articles, conference proceedings, books, reports, dissertations |
| Years covered | 1926-present | Science Citation Index: 1900-present; Social Sciences Citation Index: 1956-present; Arts and Humanities Citation Index: 1975-present |
1864-present | 1806-present |
| Default search | Phrase | Phrase | Phrase | Phrase |
| Truncation symbol(s) | * (any group of characters); ? (single character) |
* (any group of characters); ? (single character) |
* (any group of characters); ? (single character) |
* |
| Types of searches available | Topic, author, title, address, keyword, Boolean, exact phrase | Topic, author, title, address, keyword, Boolean, exact phrase, words in same sentence | Topic, author, Boolean, descriptor | Exact phrase, all of the words, any of the words |
| Search options | Author, Title, Journal, Address, Taxonomic Data, Major Concepts, Concept Code/Heading, Chemical and Biochemical, Meeting Information, ISSN, ISBN | Full, Easy, General, Cited Reference, Topic, Author, Title, Address, Advanced, Combine Search Sets, Open History | Author, Source, Descriptors | Advanced Search, Browse Indexes, Thesaurus Search, Search History/Alerts, Explode |
| Limits | English, date, document type | Dates, database, language, document type | Document type, language, year, ISSN, ISBN | Latest update, journal articles only, English only, dates |
| Link to UCLA collections | UC-eLinks | UC-eLinks | UC-eLinks | UC-eLinks |
| Print, email, download results | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |