Dimensions is a powerful abstracting and indexing (A&I) database that has evolved beyond traditional bibliographic resources to become a comprehensive research intelligence platform. It offers researchers, librarians, research offices, and departments dealing with patent and funder information a sophisticated approach to discovering and analyzing scholarly outputs.

An Advanced A&I Database

At its core, Dimensions functions as a scholarly abstracting and indexing database, cataloging and organizing research outputs for discovery and analysis. However, unlike traditional A&I databases that focus solely on publication metadata, Dimensions extends its scope to connect various research outputs across the entire research lifecycle.

The platform indexes an impressive volume of content:

  • Publications: 150+ million
  • Datasets: 42+ million
  • Grants: 7.5+ million
  • Patents: 170+ million
  • Clinical trials: 930,000+
  • Policy documents: 2.5+ million

This comprehensive indexing makes Dimensions one of the largest A&I resources available today, providing access to both bibliographic records and, where available, full-text content through institutional subscriptions or open access sources.

Enhanced Bibliographic Discovery

As an A&I database, Dimensions excels in several key areas:

Deep Indexing

Dimensions employs deep indexing that includes:

  • Full-text searching (where available)
  • Comprehensive metadata extraction
  • Author affiliations and identifiers
  • Funding information
  • Citations and references
  • Subject classification

Advanced Search Functionality

The platform offers sophisticated search capabilities:

  • Pasting free-form texts, e.g. abstract to find similar documents
  • Field-specific searching
  • Boolean operators for complex queries
  • Proximity operators
  • Refining searches with co-occurring concepts
  • Authority-controlled author and institution search
  • Use AI to build your Dimensions Query (in beta)

Contextual Filters

Search results can be refined using various filters:

  • Publication types
  • Research categories, e.g. ANZSRC 2020
  • Publication years
  • Open access status
  • Source titles
  • Author information
  • Research organisation

AI Summaries for Publications

Dimensions recently added AI summaries for publications. After clicking on ‘Summarize’ in record view, you can see a TL;DR, key highlights, and top keywords.

Beyond Traditional A&I Services

What sets Dimensions apart from traditional A&I databases is its integration of multiple research outputs and analytical capabilities:

Linked Research Information

Dimensions connects bibliographic records to:

  • The grants that funded the research
  • Resulting patents based on the research
  • Clinical trials related to the research
  • Policy documents citing the research
  • Datasets associated with the publications

This linked approach provides context that traditional A&I databases typically lack.

Built-in Analytics

Unlike most A&I resources that focus primarily on search and retrieval, Dimensions automatically generates aggregated overviews, network visualizations, timelines and heat maps based on search results:

These analytic features help identify trends and patterns that would otherwise require exporting data to external analytical tools.

Citation Metrics

The database offers both traditional and alternative citation metrics:

Integration with Altmetric Explorer

Search results from Dimensions can be transferred directly to Altmetric Explorer for deeper analysis of research impact and attention metrics across online media, policy documents, and social platforms.

Access At TU Delft

Please note: To fully access all features, you must register and log in with your TU Delft email address and credentials

Support and Assistance

For guidance on getting started and using Dimensions, visit the Dimensions Support page for comprehensive help and resources.

Conclusion

Dimensions represents an evolution of scholarly discovery tools, maintaining core indexing and abstracting functions while providing capabilities to address the interconnected nature of research outputs. Its coverage, search functionality, and integrated analytics make it a useful resource for literature discovery and research assessment.

In subsequent posts, we will explore specific aspects of using Dimensions as an A&I resource, including advanced search techniques, citation analysis, leveraging analytics capabilities for deeper insights from literature searches, and effectively transferring and analyzing data in Altmetric Explorer.

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Databases, Literature Search, Research support