As of the start of 2026 the academic reference database Web of Science will no longer be available to UT users. The agreement with Clarivate, the provider of Web of Science, includes access to the database and advanced search functionality as well as access to JCR (Journal Citation Reports) and ESI (Essential Science Indicators). Weighing costs and benefits, it has been decided to not renew the licence. Access to library content is not affected by this decision, because the subscribed content is arranged via other agreements with publishers.
The content of Web of Science database is multidisciplinary and has a lot of overlap with the content of Scopus, which we will keep as alternative. Scopus is another multidisciplinary database that the UT subscribes to, has a bigger scope and is used more by our UT community.
This decision followed a consultation with faculties and the university’s Strategy and Policy department in which costs and benefits of the current licence in comparison to other available sources were weighed. Stakeholders unanimously decided not to enter negotiations for a new contract with Clarivate, after the current licence ends on December 31st. With this decision, the UT is making another step in moving towards Open Research Information in accordance with the values of the Barcelona Declaration which our university signed as part of the Universities of the Netherlands (UNL) organization.
If you have questions about this, please reach out to (one of) your faculty's information specialist(s).
Part of UT's clusters
Discontinuation of Web of Science also follows from considerations in Reinventing UT concerning the assessment of current university licences. For more information, see the dossierpage 'Towards Financial Resilience' on UT's financial situation and the integrated approach that help UT get and stay financially sound.
