Russian Government Starts Using Scopus for National Research Assessment

MOSCOW, January 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Scopus used as assessment tool within Russia's state program "Science and Technology Development 2013-2020"

Elsevier, a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, today announced that the Russian government has officially selected Scopus as a tool for its national research assessment. Measuring research performance forms a significant part of Russia's "Science and Technology Development in 2013-2020" program as declared by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in 2012.

The aim of Russia's "Science and Technology Development in 2013-2020" program is to create an internationally competitive and well-functioning R&D sector, one in which efforts to modernize the economy are supported by science, technology and innovation. Within the program there is an emphasis on research assessment, measuring not only quantity but also quality of research output. Using data from Scopus, the Russian government will be able to map out its national research landscape, and compare it with other countries.

Ivan Sterligov, Director of Center of Situational Analysis at Russia's Ministry of Education and Science, noted, "Our state program is aimed at creating an innovative, secure infrastructure for Russian science and increase the efficiency of our fundamental and applied research. It will allow us to allocate financial resources to priority areas in science and technology. As a widely recognized and trusted source of scientific data, Scopus will help us define effective criteria for this."

Igor Osipov, PhD, Elsevier Regional Director for Russia and Belarus said, "Elsevier is honored to further develop its collaboration with the Russian government. Scopus will provide baseline data to assess research output across Russia in a strategic, forward-looking manner. We consider the launch of the program by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev a landmark event in the reform of science and education and a significant step towards quality benchmarking data for Russian researchers and decision makers, both in Russia and in an international context."

About Scopus

Covering the world's research literature, Scopus is the largest abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature. Featuring smart tools to track, analyze and visualize research, Scopus was designed and developed with input from over 500 users and librarians internationally. Its unique database contains abstracts and references from nearly 20,500 peer-reviewed journals from more than 5,000 publishers worldwide, ensuring broad interdisciplinary coverage. Direct links to subscribed full-text articles, library resources and other applications like reference management software, make Scopus quicker, easier and more comprehensive to use than any other literature research tool.  

About Elsevier

Elsevier is a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. The company works in partnership with the global science and health communities to publish more than 2,000 journals, including The Lancet and Cell, and close to 20,000 book titles, including major reference works from Mosby and Saunders. Elsevier's online solutions include ScienceDirect, Scopus, Reaxys, ClinicalKey and Mosby's Nursing Suite, which enhance the productivity of science and health professionals, and the SciVal suite and MEDai's Pinpoint Review, which help research and health care institutions deliver better outcomes more cost-effectively.

A global business headquartered in Amsterdam, Elsevier employs 7,000 people worldwide. The company is part of Reed Elsevier Group PLC, a world-leading publisher and information provider, which is jointly owned by Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV. The ticker symbols are REN (Euronext Amsterdam), REL (London Stock Exchange), RUK and ENL (New York Stock Exchange).

Media contact
Galina Yakshonak
Elsevier, Russia
+7-985-72-779-67
g.yakshonak@elsevier.com