Book Citation Index

research tools · science · libraries · citations

Tracks important books. The Book Citation Index keeps watch over more than 60,000 carefully selected books to see which ones scientists mention most in their work. It's like a popularity contest for serious research books.

Searches back in time. The index started keeping track of books from 2005 onward, so researchers can look back many years to see how ideas have been used and built upon.

Online and searchable. Scientists can search this database online to find which books are most important in their field and which new books are being referenced by other researchers.

Covers all book types. It includes both printed books and e-books that contain research chapters or reviews of scientific studies, making it useful across many different subjects.

Part of a bigger system. The Book Citation Index is one piece of the Web of Science, a massive collection of tools that help scientists find and understand research from around the world.