If you do not have access to Scopus Premium, you can use Publish or Perish (PoP) to access data from Scopus by simply entering a Scopus API Key. This method is quite popular among many researchers.

What is a Scopus API Key?

Before installing the API Key in Publish or Perish, it is important first to understand what a Scopus API Key actually is.

A Scopus API Key is an authentication code provided by Elsevier that allows certain applications or software to access data from the Scopus database automatically. This API acts as a bridge between third-party software and the Scopus database system.

By using an API Key, users can retrieve various bibliographic information such as article titles, author names, publication years, journal names, and citation counts. This data can then be used for various research purposes, such as citation analysis, literature reviews, and bibliometric analysis.

Why does Publish or Perish need a Scopus API Key?

PoP is a software widely used by researchers to search and analyze scientific publications. This application can retrieve data from various sources such as Google Scholar, Crossref, OpenAlex, and PubMed.

However, to access the Scopus database, users must use a Scopus API Key. Without an API Key, PoP cannot retrieve data directly from Scopus.

By installing a Scopus API Key, users can obtain several advantages, including:

• Access the Scopus database directly
• Obtain more accurate publication data
• Retrieve article metadata more quickly
• Simplify citation analysis of researchers or journals

For researchers who want to analyze publications using Scopus data, using an API Key is highly recommended.

Read also: Understanding Bibliometric Analysis: Definition and Purpose

How to Obtain a Scopus API Key

Before installing the API Key in PoP, you need to obtain the API Key first from the Elsevier developer portal. Follow the steps below.

• Open the Elsevier Developer Portal website in your browser
  https://dev.elsevier.com
• Click the Login button in the top right corner of the page.
• Enter your Elsevier account email and password.
• If you do not yet have an account, click Create Account/Register and create a new account using a personal or institutional email.
• After successfully logging in, go to the My API Key menu.
• Click "Create API Key". Agree to the API Service Agreement and the TDM Provisions, then click Submit.
• On that page, you will see the Scopus API Key code provided by Elsevier.
• Click the Copy icon or manually copy the API code.
• Save or copy the API Key, as it will be used to connect PoP to the Scopus database in the next step.

How to Install the Scopus API Key in Publish or Perish

After obtaining the API Key from Elsevier, the next step is to install it in the Publish or Perish application.

• Open the PoP application on your computer.
• On the main application page, click the Tools menu at the top.
• Select the Preferences menu to open the application settings.
• In the Preferences window, click the API Keys tab.
• Find the field labeled Scopus API Key.
• Paste the Scopus API Key that you copied from the Elsevier portal into the field.
• Make sure the API code is entered without spaces at the beginning or end.
• Click the OK or Save button to store the settings.
• After saving, PoP will be connected to the Scopus database through the API Key.

Conclusion

Connecting the Scopus API Key to PoP is an important step for researchers who want to analyze publications using data from the Scopus database. With the API Key, Publish or Perish can retrieve publication data directly, making the search results more accurate and complete.

The installation process is actually quite simple. Users only need to obtain the API Key from the Elsevier developer portal and then enter it in the Preferences → API Keys menu in the Publish or Perish application.

By enabling this feature, researchers can perform publication searches, citation analysis, and various bibliometric studies more efficiently.