Web of Science: Search in All Databases refined by an individual database may return more results than the same search in that individual database
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For the same query, a search in All Databases and then refined by an individual database may return more results than running the search in that individual database. This is because the user gets the benefit of the other databases' indexing in All Databases. It should be noted that All Databases searches across all collections on the Web of Science platform regardless of your institution's subscription. The search terms may not occur in the individual database version of a record but may occur in the products that have an overlap record on the Web of Science platform.
In this example, you can compare results from All Databases versus those from Web of Science Core Collection:
1. Run the following search in Web of Science Core Collection:
TOPIC: ("global warming" and "Carbon Dioxide" and forest)
2. Add all of the search results to the Marked List.
3. Run the same search in All Databases and then refine the results by the Web of Science Core Collection database:
TOPIC: ("global warming" and "Carbon Dioxide" and forest)
Refined by: Databases: ( WOS )
4. Select an item from the results summary page that does not have a Marked List icon next to it.
5. View this full record. You will see at the right that you are viewing the Web of Science Core Collection version of this item, but if you scroll down you will see links to other views of record.
You may see in the Web of Science Core Collection view of the record that some of the search terms are there but that version of the record does not meet all of the search criteria; the rest of the search terms are from the other versions of the record such as BIOSIS, Medline, CABI, Zoological Record, etc.
In the example below, the Web of Science Core Collection record shows the terms "Carbon Dioxide" and Forest but not "Global Warming" – that term can be found in the BIOSIS Citation Index and BIOSIS Previews versions of the record:
Web of Science Core Collection record:
BIOSIS Citation Index record (note the search term will not be highlighted):
