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Embase is a biomedical literature database published by Elsevier. Elsevier describes it as the biomedical database for systematic reviews, drug safety monitoring and evidence-based research and practice. This guide explains what Embase is, who runs it, what it covers according to Elsevier’s own pages, how access is sold, where it sits among the other databases researchers search, and the questions people ask most often. Figures below are attributed to the Elsevier page they come from and were checked on 29 October 2026.
What Embase is
Embase is a bibliographic database: it indexes journal articles and conference abstracts in the biomedical and life sciences and lets you search them with a controlled vocabulary as well as free text. Its controlled vocabulary is called Emtree, a life sciences thesaurus. Elsevier states that Emtree holds more than 100,000 preferred terms (including MeSH terms) and 550,000 synonyms. Because Emtree is a different thesaurus from the National Library of Medicine’s MeSH, a search strategy written for one database usually has to be rewritten, not simply pasted, into the other. See translating a PubMed strategy to Embase for how that works, and MeSH terms in PubMed for the other side of the pair.
Embase is a search tool, not a source of full text. A record gives you the citation, abstract and indexing; whether you can read the article depends on your library’s other subscriptions or on the journal’s access model.
Who runs it and what it covers
Embase is owned and published by Elsevier. Elsevier’s product page says the database is updated daily and states that Embase includes “99% of MEDLINE journals plus over 3,500 additional titles”. Elsevier’s content page gives 98% of MEDLINE journals plus 3,516 Embase-only titles, so quote the page you used if you report the percentage.
Elsevier’s Embase content page gives these scope figures:
- Journals: 8,597 active journals, from 95 countries.
- Records: over 50 million records, with an average of 8,500 new entries daily.
- Conference material: more than 400,000 of the records added each year are conference abstracts.
- Back coverage: records from 1947 onward are included in Embase Classic.
Elsevier’s own pages do not agree with each other on totals. The page metadata of its content page refers to 44M+ records and 8,100+ journals, against 50 million and 8,597 in the body text. When you cite a size in a methods section or a protocol, name the Elsevier page and the date you checked it.
Elsevier lists criteria for a journal to be included, among them a publicly described peer review process, English titles and abstracts, a periodic with an ISSN, electronic availability, and alignment with the Scopus content policy. Elsevier says the Embase journal list is updated twice a year.
How to get access
Embase is a subscription product, and the sign-in point is on Embase.com. Elsevier states the following routes on its product page:
- Institutional subscription: an annual subscription for a university, hospital, company or other organisation, with pricing arranged through Elsevier.
- Single-user access: 30-day and 7-day access on Embase.com for individuals and small and medium-sized businesses, limited to four purchases per year. The 30-day option includes five email alerts.
If your institution subscribes, ask your librarian how it provides access, since the route can be your library’s database list or Embase.com. For instructions on running searches, use the help material on Elsevier’s Embase pages and your library’s own guide.
Strengths and limits
Where Embase is strong
- Drug safety focus. Elsevier positions the database for drug safety monitoring as well as systematic reviews.
- Conference abstracts. Elsevier reports more than 400,000 conference abstracts added each year, which matters for reviewers looking for early findings.
- A deep thesaurus. Emtree’s synonym count helps a controlled-vocabulary search find records that use different wording.
- Overlap with MEDLINE plus extra titles. Because the two overlap but are not identical, searching both is common in evidence synthesis. See Embase vs MEDLINE.
Where it falls short
- Cost and access. It is not free, and short-term single-user access is capped at four purchases per year.
- Record counts vary by source. Elsevier’s pages give different totals, so quote a size with the page and date.
- Not a full-text store. You still need your library’s journal access.
- Strategy re-work. A search copied from PubMed will not behave the same way, because the thesauri differ.
Alternatives and companion databases
Embase is rarely used alone for evidence synthesis. The table lists databases researchers commonly search beside it, with a CASRAI guide where one exists.
| Database | Run by | Access model | Where to read more |
|---|---|---|---|
| PubMed / MEDLINE | U.S. National Library of Medicine | Free to search | Embase vs MEDLINE, MeSH in PubMed |
| Scopus | Elsevier | Subscription | Scopus advanced search syntax |
| CINAHL | EBSCO | Subscription | CINAHL search strategy |
| PsycINFO | American Psychological Association | Subscription | PsycINFO search strategy |
| Cochrane Library | Cochrane | Search is free; full-text access varies | Searching the Cochrane Library |
| ERIC | U.S. Institute of Education Sciences | Free | ERIC database |
Check each provider’s own site for current access terms before you plan a search, since licensing changes.
Frequently asked questions
Is Embase free?
No. Elsevier sells it as an annual institutional subscription, and offers 30-day and 7-day single-user access for individuals and small and medium-sized businesses, limited to four purchases per year. Check with your library first, since many institutions already subscribe.
What is the difference between Embase and PubMed?
PubMed is the National Library of Medicine’s free search interface for MEDLINE and related content, indexed with MeSH. Embase is Elsevier’s subscription database, indexed with Emtree, and Elsevier says it covers MEDLINE journals plus additional titles. The detailed comparison is in Embase vs MEDLINE.
What is Emtree?
Emtree is Embase’s life sciences thesaurus. Elsevier states it has more than 100,000 preferred terms, including MeSH terms, and 550,000 synonyms. You can search with its preferred terms to find records however the authors worded a concept.
How many records does Embase contain?
Elsevier’s content page says over 50 million records, with about 8,500 new entries daily. Other Elsevier pages cite different totals, so give the page and date when you report it.
How far back does Embase go?
Elsevier says records from 1947 onward are included in Embase Classic.
Does Embase include conference abstracts?
Yes. Elsevier says more than 400,000 of the records added each year are conference abstracts.
Where do I find the Embase sign-in?
Through Embase.com, or through your library’s list of databases if your institution provides access that way.
Sources
Checked on 29 October 2026.
- Elsevier, Embase product page: https://www.elsevier.com/products/embase
- Elsevier, Embase content page: https://www.elsevier.com/products/embase/content
