A Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis of Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Researchgate Using Ahp and Topsis

Purpose - Selecting an appropriate scholarly database is increasingly important for literature discovery, citation analysis, and research evaluation. This study applies the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) to comparatively evaluate Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and ResearchGate based on multiple bibliometric and usability criteria. Methodology - A qualitative multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) framework is adopted by integrating evidence from bibliometric literature, database documentation, and scholarly communication studies. AHP is employed to prioritize evaluation criteria, while TOPSIS is used to compare the relative performance of the four scholarly databases. Findings - The analysis indicates that Scopus and Web of Science demonstrate superior performance in citation quality, indexing standards, and research evaluation. Google Scholar performs exceptionally well in literature coverage and accessibility, whereas ResearchGate contributes significantly to research dissemination and academic networking. The integrated AHP–TOPSIS approach provides a balanced framework for database selection. Practical implications - The findings assist researchers, librarians, publishers, universities, and policymakers in selecting appropriate scholarly databases for literature review, bibliometric analysis, institutional assessment, and research performance evaluation. Originality - This paper introduces a concise decision-support framework by integrating AHP and TOPSIS for evaluating major scholarly databases, thereby providing an evidence-based approach for research database selection.