| 
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Scopus in Detail: How was it built?
User-Centered Design Approach
The user-centered design approach to building Scopus enabled the development team to better understand the research progress as well as the challenges faced by many librarians in alerting their users to available resources.
Five full-time designers and a cognitive psychologist used feedback from user tests to develop the interface, adopting cognitive models of search and retrieval.
More information on this approach is available in the white paper "Applying the User-Centered Design (UCD) process to the development of a large bibliographic navigation tool: a partnership between librarian, researcher and developer".
What did we learn?
Developing Scopus with the scientific community taught us that navigation was the next big thing. Information professionals and users suffer from the problem of too much information, from a wide range of sources, and too little time to find, manage and evaluate it.
Users and librarians told us they wanted
- A simple, single entry-point to the world’s scientific information
- Easy to use
- Combining official publications and everything on the web
- Integrated with other library resources
- And with the full text only one click away
A series of white papers are available which detail aspects of the research and development process.
Downloadable
Scopus White Papers
White Paper 1: Applying the User-Centered Design (UCD) process to the development of a large bibliographic navigation tool
White Paper 2: The value of structure in searching scientific literature
White Paper 3: A report on the functionality of abstract & indexing (A&I) database platforms
Milestones in the development of Scopus
April/May 2002:
Elsevier holds two-week offsite 'pressure cooker' session to conceive new bibliographic navigation tool system in response to feedback from librarians and researchers on the need for a new product to answer currently unmet needs.
May 2002:
First focus group of scientists and librarians convened to provide input into product concept and development.
Summer 2002:
First development partners recruited, including the leading Universities of Toronto, Oxford, Pittsburgh, Granada, Nice and CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation).
Fall 2002:
Scopus product name confirmed - based on a bird with excellent navigation skills spotted on a nature walk, following a 'pressure cooker' session on Scopus.
November 2003:
First media coverage of Scopus development begins to appear, in EPS Insights (11.12.03).
December 2003:
Beta version rolled out to development partners.
February 2004:
Universities of Chalmers, Sweden and Duisburg-Essen, Germany joined development partner program.
March 2004:
www.scopus.com made available for final testing and institutes around the world began to trial and give input on the pre-release version.
July 2004:
Colloquium with development partners in Strasbourg, France to evaluate the pre-release version, share ideas and have workshops on future developments.
September 2004:
Scopus development partner, The University of Toronto, becomes the world's first institution to purchase Scopus.
October 2004:
Development partner the University of Nevada, Las Vegas becomes the second Scopus purchaser.
November 2004:
Scopus officially launched at events in London, New York and Tokyo.
