Tutorial: Scopus / CrossRef Citation Counter
Role: Journal Manager
Time: 15–30 minutes
OJS Version: 3.5+
This tutorial explains how to display citation counts on your OJS article pages using the CrossRef Cited-By service and Scopus citation data.
Before You Start
- Your articles have DOIs registered with CrossRef. See Enable DOIs with CrossRef.
- You have Journal Manager access in OJS.
Part 1 — CrossRef Cited-By (Free)
CrossRef provides a free Cited-By service that shows how many times an article has been cited by other CrossRef-registered works.
Step 1 — Enable CrossRef Reference Linking Plugin
- Go to Settings → Website → Plugins → Installed Plugins.
- Find Crossref Reference Linking Plugin (may also appear as CrossRef Cited-By).
- Toggle to Enabled.
- Click Settings and enter your CrossRef credentials (same as your CrossRef XML Export Plugin).
- Click Save.
Once enabled, citation counts from CrossRef appear on article pages automatically for articles with registered DOIs.
Step 2 — Verify Display
- Navigate to a published article with a registered DOI.
- In the article sidebar or metrics section, you should see a Cited by N works line.
- If no citations appear, the article may have zero citations or the count may not update for 24–48 hours.
Part 2 — Scopus Citation Counts (Requires API Key)
Scopus (Elsevier) citation data requires an API key from the Elsevier Developer Portal.
Step 1 — Obtain a Scopus API Key
- Go to dev.elsevier.com.
- Create an account and register a new application.
- Request access to the Scopus Search API and Abstract Retrieval API.
- Copy your API Key.
Step 2 — Embed Scopus Citation Data
There is no built-in OJS plugin for Scopus citations. Options:
Option A — Elsevier Badge
Use Elsevier's embeddable citation badge:
<div class="elsevier-citation-badge" data-doi="YOUR_DOI"></div>
<script src="https://cdn.dev.elsevier.com/badge.js"></script>
Add this via Custom Header Plugin or a template override (see Plum Analytics Integration).
Option B — Scopus API Widget
Build a lightweight JavaScript widget that calls the Scopus API to fetch and display the citation count. This requires basic JavaScript knowledge.
Part 3 — CrossRef Metadata Plus (Enhanced Citation Data)
CrossRef Metadata Plus is a paid service that provides richer citation context (citing article metadata, not just counts). Contact CrossRef at crossref.org/membership/ for pricing.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| CrossRef citation count not showing | Check DOI is registered and deposited; verify CrossRef plugin credentials |
| Citation count shows zero | The article may have zero CrossRef-registered citations; counts only include works deposited to CrossRef |
| Scopus API returns error | Check your API key and ensure your IP is whitelisted in the Elsevier developer portal |
Next Steps
- Enable DOIs with CrossRef — DOIs are required for citation tracking
- Crossref Funders Registry Setup — add funder metadata to articles
- Plum Analytics Integration — additional article-level metrics