Published 16 September 2026
Crossref, Google Scholar, Scopus and Web of Science compared
These services are often listed together although they answer different questions. A Crossref DOI is not Scopus indexing, and a copy discovered by Google Scholar is not automatically the publisher’s authoritative record.
Crossref and Google Scholar
Crossref receives bibliographic metadata from participating organisations and connects it to DOI records. Google Scholar discovers scholarly material, repositories, citations and different copies through its search system. The first is closer to a registration record; the second is useful for broad discovery.
Scopus and Web of Science
Scopus and Web of Science are curated bibliographic and citation platforms with separate selection policies and coverage periods. A careful check considers the journal, year, collection, document type and a direct article record when available.
How to combine their answers
One resource cannot substitute for another. Confirm DOI data with its agency, the publication version with the publisher and an indexing claim with the named database. Record the source and access date beside each conclusion.
Example
A DOI appears in Crossref, an author copy appears in Google Scholar, and the Scopus source card shows coverage for 2019–2022. These are three different findings: registered metadata, search discoverability and journal coverage. None alone confirms that a 2023 article is indexed in Scopus.
Verification sources
- Crossref Metadata SearchBibliographic metadata deposited by participating publishers and agencies.
- Google ScholarBroad scholarly discovery; coverage is not an official guarantee of indexing.
- Scopus SourcesElsevier interface for checking source coverage and coverage years.
- Web of Science Master Journal ListClarivate journal list and edition/coverage information.