ScienceDirect

Publisher content platform. ScienceDirect provides access to Elsevier journals and books. Use its search to find and inspect content hosted on the platform. Treat it as a publisher platform, not as a substitute for a multidisciplinary citation index such as Scopus or Web of Science.

Stage 1 Search Log All guides

01 · Access and sign in

Open ScienceDirect

Open ScienceDirect through UTM Library or your institution’s e-resource portal when full-text access is needed. Search and metadata discovery may be available without signing in, while full text and some services depend on subscriptions, open access and institutional access.

Open ScienceDirect ↗Official advanced search guide ↗Download articles and chapters ↗ScienceDirect citation export ↗

02 · Search for SLR

Search features to practise

Search across platform content; inspect abstracts and full text where available; refine results; open article records; and export individual citation records to RIS or other supported reference tools.

Database coverage matters. Scopus and Web of Science Core Collection are citation-indexing databases. IEEE Xplore, ScienceDirect and Springer Nature Link are scholarly content platforms with their own search collections. Coverage and search behaviour differ; document each source separately and justify it in your protocol.

03 · Hands-on exercise

Build and test a search

Start from your review topic and identify two or three main concepts.
List synonyms and spelling variants for each concept. Combine synonyms with OR and concept groups with AND.
Copy the sample below and replace the terms with your own concepts. Check the database help page for field syntax and operators.
Run the search, inspect a sample of titles and abstracts, and revise unclear or over-restrictive terms.
Apply only filters justified by your scope or protocol. Record the exact query and search date before moving to another source.
Export available bibliographic fields, abstracts and keywords. Check the export and import the records into Zotero; retain the original export file.

Search approach: Use the platform search to test your topic terms and synonyms. Review filters and search options in the current interface. For a systematic review, consider ScienceDirect as a supplementary publisher source if justified by your scope and protocol.

Adaptable example search string

("explainable artificial intelligence" OR XAI) AND ("intrusion detection" OR "anomaly detection")

Run a focused search, inspect records and abstracts, and open the article page for promising results. Export citation details where available. Keep a separate log of the exact query, date, filters and results count. Do not assume a ScienceDirect search covers the entire Scopus or Web of Science index.

04 · Record and carry forward

What to save after this search

A platform search log, exported citations for relevant records, and one verified seed paper if suitable. Add formal searches to the Stage 1 Search Log and keep original exports.

✓ Database/platform name and search date

✓ Exact query and fields searched

✓ Filters and total results retrieved

✓ Original export file and verified seed record

Important: ScienceDirect mainly exposes content on its platform. Use it alongside other suitable sources when the SLR requires cross-publisher coverage.

Record this search in the Stage 1 Search Log →Organize references in Zotero

Also see Keyword Matrix & Boolean Search · Keyword Matrix & Boolean Search · Database Selection