AMSTERDAM, March 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Elsevier, a leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, today announced the availability of SciVal Strata (http://www.info.scival.com/strata). SciVal Strata is a web-based research performance tool that offers users the flexibility to construct relevant contextual data to evaluate research teams or individual researchers, using a range of indicators based on Scopus data. SciVal Strata can be used by all members of a subscribing institution to demonstrate research excellence and to secure, allocate and measure return-on-investment of funding. The tool also improves recruitment, promotion and collaboration processes.

SciVal Strata allows researchers and decision makers throughout academic and governmental organizations to evaluate performance and demonstrate the value of research in ways that are most relevant to their career stage, field of expertise and topics of interest. Moreover, it enables users to envision alternate research groups by 'dragging and dropping' any researcher across the globe into hypothetical teams and gauge expected changes in performance by benchmarking 'fantasy' groups against existing groups. Developed in collaboration with research organizations and powered by the breadth of Scopus, SciVal Strata provides a unique context for decision-making by visualizing the performance of teams and researchers both inside and outside of an organization.

"This tool complements current methodologies used by universities and government agencies by measuring the performance of research teams and individuals in ways that were not possible before," said Jay Katzen, Managing Director of Elsevier Academic and Government Products. "SciVal Strata can help users make more informed research decisions based on relevant benchmarks and measures, such as citations or document output. This new approach will empower users to more accurately assess research performance according to criteria most important to them and help justify funding, hiring decisions and partner opportunities."