How is the Basic Search different from the Advanced Search?

Scopus provides two (2) types of search, i.e. Basic Search and Advanced Search. The following describes the main differences between the two.

Basic Search

Basic Search guides user with drop-down menu to perform search. The default preset is to search Article Title, Abstract and Keywords. User may use the drop-down menu to search other fields, e.g. Article Title (only), Abstract (only), Keywords (only), Authors, Affiliation, All fields, etc.

Basic Search also guides user with Combine Queries function to connect more than one search with common Boolean Operators AND, OR, AND NOT.

For more information and video tutorial how to conduct a Basic Search, please visit the following link:

How to conduct a Basic Search tutorial - Scopus Support Center

Advanced Search

Advanced Search is designed for advanced users to perform search. The default preset is to search All fields. User may type search queries to search various fields, including those not commonly used and not made available in the drop-down menu of Basic Search, e.g. SEQBANK, CONFLOC, etc.

Advanced Search also allows user to connect more than one search with Proximity Operators which are not made available in Combine Queries function of Basic Search, e.g. PRE/n, W/n.

For more information and video tutorial how to conduct an Advanced Search, please visit the following link:

How to use Advanced Search tutorial - Scopus Support Center

Some searches typed by user can take longer than usual and use a lot of processing time and capacity. A search that contains common terms and many OR groups, together with many Wildcards and Proximity Operators, is complex and can require a lot of processing. Scopus searches may even time out, especially if the server is very busy with other searches.

Scopus encourages users to refer to the following Search Tips before using Advanced Search or to use Basic Search as far as possible.

Search Tips: What makes a Scopus search complex? - Scopus Support Center