What is the Science Citation Index (SCI)?
The Science Citation Index (SCI) is a pioneering citation index founded by Eugene Garfield in 1964. It was originally produced by the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI). The index is a core resource for tracking scholarly literature in the sciences, medicine, and technology by mapping how research papers cite one another.
Ownership & Historical Timeline
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1964: Founded by Eugene Garfield under the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI).
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1972: The ISI and its assets, including the SCI, were acquired by Thomson Reuters, becoming part of its Intellectual Property & Science division.
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2016: Thomson Reuters sold its scientific division to private equity firms Onex Corporation and Baring Private Equity Asia.
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2016-Present: The index became part of the newly formed Clarivate Analytics (later renamed Clarivate in 2021). Clarivate revived the ISI name as one of its operating departments.
Key Product: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE)
The primary version in use today is the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE).
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Coverage: It indexes over 6,500 high-quality, peer-reviewed journals across 150 scientific disciplines.
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Archive: Coverage spans from 1900 to the present.
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Platforms: The index is accessed primarily through the Web of Science core collection database, as well as other platforms like SciSearch.
Quick Facts: Science Citation Index
| Property | Details |
|---|---|
| Creation | 1964 |
| Founder | Eugene Garfield |
| Original Producer | Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) |
| Current Owner | Clarivate |
| Parent Companies | Onex Corporation, Baring Private Equity Asia |
| Headquarters | New York, United States |
| Specialties | Science, Medicine, Technology |
| Primary Platform | Web of Science |
| Website | Science Citation Index Expanded |
Related Index: Chemistry Citation Index
Eugene Garfield, a chemist by training, also introduced the Chemistry Citation Index.
Launch: First published in 1992 in both print and electronic formats.
Initial Coverage: Focused on 330 core chemistry journals, with partial data from an additional 4,000 journals.
Expansion: By 2002, coverage grew to include 500 fully indexed journals and partial data from 8,000 other related journals.
Importance & Use
The SCI is a fundamental tool for:
Academic Research: Discovering the literature in a field and tracing the development of ideas.
Bibliometric Analysis: Measuring the impact of journals, articles, and researchers through metrics like the Journal Impact Factor (JIF).
Institutional Assessment: Used by universities and funding bodies to evaluate research performance.
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