SciX is a powerful literature search platform that's simple to use. Type any keyword, topic, or author name and hit return for relevant results. For precise results, use targeted search fields:

• Basic search: Searches all record metadata. Type "hurricane" to find 25,000+ records, including papers about hurricanes and papers by authors such as O. Hurricane. Or type "Crutzen" to find 600+ results by various authors named Crutzen.
• Topic search: Click abstract + year fields → abs:"hurricane" year:2024-2025 → Recent hurricane papers
• Author search: Click first author + year → first_author:"Crutzen, Paul" year:1990 → His 4 first-author papers from 1990
• Collaboration search: Click author twice + institution → author:"Crutzen" author:"Andreae" inst:"Max Planck" → Their joint Max Planck work

See our Getting Started Tutorial for more tips.

No, you do not need an account to use SciX. However, there are benefits to creating an account:

• Alerts: Set up alerts to get updates on your favorite topics, authors, or papers using the bell icon
• Libraries: Create and manage personal libraries to organize your research and share with colleagues
• ORCiD integration: Claim your papers and get guaranteed author matches
• Default discipline settings: Set your preferred discipline and search result sorting that persist across sessions
• External links: Easy access to full-text articles and external resources by connecting your library subscriptions

Specify your discipline to boost relevant content and improve search results:

Choose discpline from the top-left menu (boosts content): Select a preferred discipline for your search. Note: "General Science" corresponds primarily to physics, computer science, and chemistry content. This choice doesn't filter out other disciplines but boosts the most relevant content to appear closer to the top of your search results.

Left panel (filters content): Select a collection by discipline to filter out results that don't belong to your selected discipline. This gives you a more focused view of results within your field.

Account benefits: If you create an account, you can select your discipline once and it will stay selected for your future searches until you change it.

Learn more about the benefits of creating an account.

We don't track or save your search history, though we may offer an optional "recent searches" feature in the future.

• No personal tracking: We collect aggregate search data but can't track back to you
• Email alerts: Use bell button to set up notifications for your search
• Save searches: After signing into your account, click the Bulk Actions menu → Add to Library. In the new library, note query in description
• Revisit anytime: Access saved searches through your libraries

Learn more about library management and email notifications.

Yes! Export your search results to citation managers:

• Bulk Actions menu: Export search results in most scientific reference formats
• Supported formats: EndNote, Zotero, BibTeX, RIS, AGU, and most other formats used in Earth and space sciences, physics, and mathematics
• Libraries: Same export options available for saved libraries

Get precise results by being specific and combining details. Use field searches, operators, and filters:

• Search text fields: abs:, title:, full:, ack:
• Search other fields: author:, first_author:, year:, doctype:, etc.
• Combine fields: Use AND, OR, EXCLUDE (-), exact match (=) operators to combine different fields. If you enter more than one term, results must include all of them (i.e., default operator is AND).
• Filter results: Use left panel filters after searching

Learn more about advanced search techniques.

Common names like "Sun, Jin" (6.5K results) or "Smith, John" (13.2K results) can be tricky. Below are some strategies that can help.

Example 1:

• Be specific: author:"Smith, J. S." or =author:"Smith, J" → exact matches
• Use ORCiD: orcid:"0000-0001-6066-793X" → guaranteed author match (click green ORCiD icon next to an author name to search by their ORCiD")

Example 2:

• Add topics: author:"Sun, Jin" AND abs:"electromagnetic" → filter by research area (6.5K results → ~150 results)
• Author box filters: Click arrow next to author name → expand name variants → include/exclude specific variants or co-authors
• Filter institutions (if known): Left panel → Institutions → Select "OR St U" or "ETH Zurich" (6.5K results → ~500). Find institution abbreviations here.
• Explore Menu → Author network: Select group of known collaborators → Add to filter and search. Results in the few papers of interest

Learn more about advanced search techniques and author search methods.

Make your work easier to find:

• Full name: Include middle initials for more specific matches
• Stay consistent: Use same name format across all papers
• Get ORCiD: Create ID, share on profiles, use on submissions, and claim papers in SciX
• Name changes: See our name change policy or email us to link name variations
• Share work: Create public library to showcase your papers

Search your topic (e.g., abs:"sea level rise" or author:"Mitrovica, Jerry") then explore:

• Explore Menu:
  • Author networks: See who works together. Select individual authors or group of collaborators → Add to filter and search to see their papers.
  • Similar work: Search for your own papers and use the similar search to see related papers and authors. Learn more about similar search.
• Institution search: inst:"Harvard U" → find researchers at specific places
• Funded projects: abs:"sea level rise" doctype:proposal has:credit → find published authors who were funded to work on this topic
• Citations: Search for citations(author:”Mitrovica, Jerry”). Click on the Explore menu to create a paper network or an author network of these citations

Learn more in our Getting Started Tutorial.

Track who's citing your work:

• All citations: citations(author:"Your Name") → see papers citing your work
• Specific papers: citations(identifier:"PAPER_ID") → track individual papers
• Set alerts: Save searches by clicking the bell icon → get notified of new citations
• View metrics: Metrics feature → see citation trends

Learn more about finding citations and library management.

Discover new research with these powerful tools:

• Use the Explore menu to access:
  • Paper Network: See how papers connect through shared references
  • Author Networks: Visualize who collaborates with whom
  • Smart search tools: similar() → papers like yours, trending() → what's popular, useful() → methods & tools, reviews() → top papers that cite your search results. Learn more about these advanced search tools
• Co-reads: See what else people who read your paper also read
• Highlights: Turn on using gear button above search results
• Data & Software: similar(PAPER_ID) doctype:software OR doctype:data → find software or data relevant to a paper's topic

Libraries help you organize and manage your research:

• Group papers: Organize by topic, project, or any way you want
• Build collections: Gather comprehensive lists for literature reviews
• Share with others: Make public libraries or collaborate with colleagues
• Export citations: Download in AGU, BibTeX, RIS, or other popular formats
• Track impact: See citation patterns and metrics for your papers
• Find connections: Use Paper Network to see how papers relate

Learn how to create and manage libraries (requires creating an account).

Yes! Here's how to request corrections:

• Missing papers: Use our Submit Abstract Form to report missing papers
• Wrong details: Use the same form to report errors in existing records
• Timing: New arXiv papers appear daily, published articles weekly
• What we cover: Refereed articles, arXiv preprints, conference papers, and other scholarly works
• Data sources: We work with publishers and arXiv for comprehensive coverage

For other help, contact us at help@scixplorer.org.

SciX makes research discovery and management easier:

• Comprehensive coverage: Access millions of records — scientific papers, conference proceedings, PhD theses, data, software, proposals, and more — covering Earth and space sciences and related fields
• Smart search: Find exactly what you need with powerful search tools and filters
• Discover connections: See how papers, authors, and ideas connect through networks
• Organize your work: Create libraries to manage and share your research
• Track impact: Monitor citations and analyze the influence of your work
• Stay current: Find trending papers to discover what's popular in your field
• Free and open: Access all features without cost or restrictions
• Built by scientists, for scientists: Designed specifically for the scientific community's needs

Learn more about what SciX can do for you at scixplorer.org/home.