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The Smart Search function in Web of Science is new for 2025. It offers a simpler search function where you can enter a natural language query rather than breaking it down into specific keywords and search fields.
The system uses this to generate a traditional Boolean search (with AND, NOT, OR keywords) and a semantic search (using similar terms to the ones you have entered), combine these two searches behind the scenes, and generate a set of relevant papers and a set of relevant researchers. You can opt to see only the 'Boolean' or 'Semantic' search results by selecting the appropriate option from the 'Preferred Search Results' drop-down menu.
To switch between Smart Search and Advanced Search, select the appropriate tab at the top left of the Web of Science page. If Smart Search is not an option, you can enable it using the slider at the top right of the Web of Science page.
It defaults to searching 'All databases', but you can choose to switch this to 'Core Collection'. If you search in 'All databases', then the results will be tagged with the database they are drawn from. 'All databases' will get more results, but the search may be less focused than searching just 'Core Collection'. We recommend using Core Collection in most circumstances.
As you type in a search term, it will suggest potential searches, topic groups, and journals to focus your search on.
You can search in either English or simplified Chinese; if you search in Chinese, then it will add a switch allowing you to automatically translate the titles of the search results into Chinese, and it will also allow you to translate the abstracts as well. There are plans to add other languages here in future.
Smart Search is useful for getting a quick overview of relevant papers, especially in a field where you do not know what all relevant terms might be. However, as you do not have full control over the search terms used, it is not suitable for systematic searching or searches where you want to obtain a comprehensive set of results. It may also potentially have more false positives than a carefully constructed keyword search.
Smart Search would not be appropriate for a systematic review or systematic literature review, where you may need to report your search strategy, as Smart Search does not make the exact search terms available.
