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You can choose to search across all Web of Science databases, with limited functionality. To make use of the specific features of each resource you should go directly to that resource by clicking on the arrow and selecting it from the drop-down menu. In most cases, the Core Collection is the best option.
Most Web of Science databases are searched in the same way, but some specialised databases may have different fields available to search. A search in 'All Databases' will be limited to only a small number of fields.
Web of Science now offers a 'Smart search' and 'Advanced search' option. The Smart Search option takes a natural language query and builds a detailed search from it; the Advanced Search allows you to build a detailed search yourself.
Smart Search is useful for getting a quick overview of relevant papers, especially in a field where you do not know what the terms used might be. However, as you do not have full control over the search terms used, it is not suitable when you want to obtain a comprehensive set of results. We recommend using the Advanced Search for detailed or complex searching. The information in this guide focuses on the Advanced Search. There is additional guidance on using Smart Search.
To select Smart Search or Advanced Search, use the tabs on the left-hand side of the top bar. If it does not show this option, enable using the Try the new search slider on the right.
This video forms part of an online tutorial, 'Search strategies for literature searching':
