Innovation and technology scouting often require exploring vast and complex data. In SCOUT, two distinct search methods are available: Smart Search and Expert Search.
Choosing the right one can make your research easier, faster, and more insightful. 

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Smart search

Smart Search uses semantic search to understand the intent and context of your query. It’s built on advanced Natural Language Processing (NLP) technology and provides results based on conceptual meaning, not only exact keyword matches.

This allows you to explore broad or complex topics in a natural way, without needing to know the exact terms used in the underlying data.

You might use Smart Search when you're exploring new ideas like “circular battery design” or “bio-based polymers”. It will help you discover related publications, trends, companies, or patents, even if your phrasing isn’t exact.

If you're working with the Matrix, make sure to use Expert search, as Smart Search is not supported there. 
If you want to search for an organization, you must use Expert search. Smart Search does not support organization-specific queries at this time.

We're continuously working on improving the search experience, and additional functionalities will be introduced in future updates.

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Expert search

Expert Search is built on the Boolean search method, using operators like AND, OR, and NOT. It gives you full control over the logic of your query, which is incredibly useful when your goal is to be precise and consistent in what you retrieve.

If you know exactly what you’re looking for, Expert Search is the right tool. While it has a slightly steeper learning curve, it rewards structured thinking with very targeted results.

Besides exploring the Search section in our Academy, we also recommend reading our white papers. They provide deeper insights into search techniques, include benchmarks comparing Expert and Smart Search, and highlight real-world case studies to help you apply both methods effectively in your work:
‍Smart Search I, Smart Search II. 

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