As the go-to database for scientific research across the fields of physics, engineering, computer science and technology IET Inspec is trusted by prestigious research institutions across the globe.
IET Inspec and Inspec Analytics are continuously updated and improved to ensure that we are offering our customers extremely high-quality content, features, and metrics.
Three key areas of focus for IET Inspec include
Adding trusted content
To help our customers keep pace with the latest research.
Enriching Inspec records
To provide our customers with comprehensive records that support enhanced discovery and precision analytics.
Advancing functionality and analytic capability
To launch new features that are developed based on customer needs and feedback.
Please note: All forthcoming features and product developments are subject to change.
Adding trusted content
As a publisher-neutral database, IET Inspec keeps pace with the latest research by regularly reviewing and updating its list of indexed titles.
For additional information about our content, including a full list of journals indexed by Inspec, please visit our content and coverage webpage.
For additional information about the IET Inspec content and selection policy, view our information for publishers webpage.
2024 highlights
- More than 90 journals accepted for indexing beginning Jan 2024
- First to index new publications from trusted publishers including SPIE, AIP, IEEE, ACM, and IET.
- 39 titles from the KeAI Journals portfolio.
- High-impact journals from Mary-Ann Liebert.
- 14 titles from the Royal Society of Chemistry.
- Expanded coverage of ProQuest Dissertation & Theses.
What’s coming in 2025?
- First to index newly published titles from trusted publishers including AIP, IEEE, ACM, Springer, Elsevier.
- Preprints: commence indexing of content from Research Square.
- ASME Proceedings: delivering a backfile of core Engineering content into Inspec and Inspec Analytics.
- Dissertations & Theses: backfilling subject topics for a more comprehensive research experience.
- Funding data: exploring additional/earlier funding information to support Inspec Analytics.
Enriching Inspec records
IET Inspec’s rigorous indexing process provides comprehensive records that support enhanced discovery and precision analytics.
Each year, the Inspec team conducts an assessment and update of the Inspec thesaurus against emerging research trends to reflect the latest scientific advances and keep pace with modern research. For detailed information about the most recent thesaurus updates, please visit our guides and support webpage.
In addition to annual thesaurus updates, the Inspec team also works to add new data fields to enrich Inspec records.
2024 highlights
The 2024 annual thesaurus assessment resulted in: 13 new subject classification code; 1 demoted code; 42 new controlled terms (including 7 promoted lead-ins); and 121 new lead-ins.
- Multimedia document type developed.
- Streamline handling of corrections, retractions and errata.
- Evaluating additional datasets and tools.
What’s coming in 2025?
- 2025 Thesaurus update: resulted in 14 new codes being added and 1 retired; 53 new Controlled Terms added and 113 concepts added as lead-ins. These will be applied to Inspec records and Inspec Analytics from January 2025.
- Multimedia Document type launched: Unlocking hidden early research and making non-traditional research outputs discoverable in the scientific literature.
- Continuous improvement - research integrity: effective ways of delivering retractions across Inspec legacy data.
- Additional datasets under investigation:
- Preprint-Journal article identification and linking
- Patents.
Advancing functionality and analytic capability
IET Inspec develops new features based on customer needs and feedback to continue advancing the functionality and analytic capability of our products.
Ongoing work is done to maintain and improve workflows and vendor integrations to continue providing a quality experience for our customers and users.
What’s coming to Inspec Analytics in 2025?
- Saved Searches: Adding the ability to save favourite pages, filters & views and access them through a personal dashboard.
- Landing redirect: Auto-redirect users from known customer IP ranges to their institution pages.
- Integration with vendor platforms: Improved linking from vendor platforms to Inspec Analytics concept pages, and ‘show articles’ links back to customer’s preferred discovery platform.
- Funding bodies for organisations: Extending funding data in Inspec Analytics Plus to show funding bodies for organisations’ output on specific subjects.
Further developments under investigation for 2025 and beyond*:
- Static and dynamic alerts: Enabling users to automatically receive pdf reports of their saved searches, and to also receive dynamic reports when their selected data has changed
- Concept page summaries: Adding text descriptions of all Controlled Terms and Subject Classifications to concept pages.
- Citation and reference maps: Using Inspec citation data to show institutional citation networks.
*Subject to customer feedback.