Corpus slices
In short: A corpus slice narrows which publications one map uses, or which publications you import into another project, without changing the corpus. Build it from filters (year range, publication type, keyword, author, venue, citations and more) or type a sentence under Describe the slice and let SciNodes AI turn it into filters. The count updates as you go: "Keeps N of M publications". You'll find slices in Expert Mode and in Import from another project.
Where to use a slice
| Where | What the slice does |
|---|---|
| Expert Mode → Corpus slice | The new map is built only from the publications the slice keeps. See Expert Mode. |
| Import Existing (Library) or Import from another project (New Project form) → Slice the corpus or Describe the slice | Only the publications the slice keeps are copied. See Import from another project. |
A map built from a slice shows a "Slice" badge in the map gallery, and its Map Properties list the slice. See Map folders and properties.
Build a slice from filters
- Open the slice builder (for example, Expert Mode → Corpus slice).
- Under Add a filter, choose a filter type.
- Set its value (see the table below). For text filters, type a value and press
Enter, or click one of the suggestions from your corpus. - Click Add filter. It appears as a chip above.
- Repeat for more filters. A publication must match every filter to be kept.
- Check the count, for example "Keeps 214 of 1,980 publications", and the example titles under it.
Click a chip to edit it, its × to remove it, or Clear all to start again.
Describe the slice in words
- Click Describe the slice ("AI turns your words into filters").
- Type what you want, for example "recent reviews on transformer models, excluding preprints".
- Click Turn into filters (or press
Enter). - Check the filter chips SciNodes created and adjust them if needed. If part of your sentence couldn't be turned into a filter, a note says so.
Describing a slice uses your weekly AI credits. Building filters yourself doesn't. See Credits and usage.
Filter types
| Filter | How to set it |
|---|---|
| Keyword | One or more keywords. With several, choose Any of these or All of these. |
| Author | One or more author names |
| Venue (journal) | One or more journals or conferences |
| Publication type | Tick Journal articles, Conference papers, Preprints, Theses, Book chapters or Reviews. Counts from your corpus show beside each. |
| Year range | From and To years |
| Recent years | The last N years |
| Title / abstract contains | One or more phrases, with Any of these or All of these |
| Affiliation | One or more institutions |
| Language | One or more language codes |
| Open access | Open access only or Not open access |
| Retracted | Exclude retracted or Retracted only |
| Minimum citations (OpenAlex) | Cited at least N times, according to OpenAlex |
| Cited within this corpus | Cited at least N times by publications in this corpus |
| Corpus folder | One of your folders, such as My references |
For text filters, SciNodes shows the most common values in your corpus, with counts, before you type, and matches as you type.
Slice, corpus or expansion?
| You want to | Use |
|---|---|
| Map only part of what you have, for example the last five years | A corpus slice |
| Map one folder, such as your "Include" folder from screening | A slice with a Corpus folder filter |
| Add more publications for every map | Corpus expansion or Discover |
| Remove publications from the project entirely | Remove from corpus. See Folders. |
Troubleshooting
| Message | What to do |
|---|---|
| "No publication matches this slice." | Remove or loosen a filter |
| "No publication in this corpus carries an open-access verdict yet." | This filter can't be used with your corpus yet |
| "No publication in this corpus has an OpenAlex citation count yet." | Use Cited within this corpus instead |
| "No publication in this corpus records a language." | The language filter can't be used with this corpus |
| "You have no corpus folders in this project." | Create a folder first. See Folders. |
| "Couldn't turn that into filters. Try rephrasing, or build the filters below." | Rephrase the sentence, or add filters yourself |
| "Describing a slice is switched off on this server. Build the filters below instead." | Build the filters yourself |
| "Weekly complex compute budget spent." | Build the filters yourself, or wait for the reset in the message |
| "Could not count this slice." | Try again |
FAQ
Does a slice remove publications from my corpus?
No. The corpus stays exactly as it is. The slice only affects the map you build with it, or the publications you import.
Can I change the slice of an existing map?
Not yet. Build a new map with the slice you want. Reconfiguring an existing map isn't available yet (coming soon).
Can I slice by citation count?
Yes. Use Minimum citations (OpenAlex) for overall citations, or Cited within this corpus for citations from your own publications.
How do I map only the last five years?
In Expert Mode → Corpus slice, add a Recent years filter set to 5.