The December 2017 update of Web of Science makes it easier to access Open Access articles by means of expanded Open Access indicators. Another useful update is an indexation of early access content.
Expanded Open Access indicators
It is now possible to filter the search results in Web of Science for Open Access in general or for a particular type of Open Access. A link to the open access content appears on the search results and on the full record page.
Web of Science partnered with ImpactStory and uses their oaDOI - an API that redirects you to an open access version of an article whenever possible. With this information you can now not only identify 100 % gold open access journal articles but also the following open access articles:
- Hybrid Gold – articles published in open access in otherwise subscription-based journals;
- Delayed Gold – where archival content may be open access at the journal website;
- Green Published – final published articles available without charge from a repository;
- Green Accepted – peer-reviewed accepted manuscripts available without charge from a repository.
The Gold Open Access filter contains the articles in the three Gold Open Access categories: Gold Open Access Journals, Hybrid Open Access Articles and Delayed Open Access Articles.
In Web of Science only one link from oaDOI is provided, to give access to the best version of the article. When an article is published in Gold Open Access and is also available in a repository, only the Gold Open Access link will be shown. This article will not be found when a Green Open Access filter is used.
Early access content
Web of Science now also indexes early access content: articles made available before they are assigned to a final issue of the journal. They can be identified in Web of Science by the use of the document type Early Access.
Please note: Web of Science started with adding early access content of particular publishers. This program will be expanded to other publishers in the following months.
Additional changes
The sort options are redesigned, making it easier to sort the search results. The Citation Network in the full record is redesigned. You can now receive daily alerts from Web of Science (next to weekly or monthly alerts).
A complete overview of the changes in Web of Science can be found in the Release notes.
