Size of the chemical literature

• The sheer size of the chemical literature can be challenging.
  • In 1907, CAS published ~12,000 abstracts. In 2007, it published  over a million.
  • When the CAS Registry system began in 1965, there were ~212,000 substances listed. The total is now over 37 million (plus  over 60 million genetic sequences).
    • Check the latest count at http://www.cas.org/cgi-bin/cas/regreport.pl
  • The CAS database, including the SciFinder Scholar interface, contains more than 30 million records
  • CAS Statistical Summary
• Time spent  now learning research skills will save time later.

CSM Library Reference area

• Books on using and understanding chemical literature:  Call Numbers begin with QD 8.5 (Reference and Book Stacks)
• Chemistry Reference books: Call Numbers begin with QD
• Chemical Engineering Reference books: Call Numbers begin with TP
• Chemical Abstracts in print (1907-2003)
  • More info: http://www.cas.org/products/print/ca/index.html
  • Multi-year Collectives 1907 (1st) - 1991 (12th)
  • 1992 - 2003: weekly/biweekly; indexes at 6 month intervals

SciFinder Scholar database (online, 1907-present)

• The major database for research in chemistry and chemical aspects; covers the journal literature worldwide, plus patents, conferences, dissertations, technical reports, books, and more.
  • More info: http://www.cas.org/SCIFINDER/SCHOLAR/
  • By default, it also searches Medline/Pubmed, the major life sciences database.
• Must be used in the Library Reference Area on the designated computer. SciFinder Scholar users have priority; if more than one user needs it, negotiate your search time.  Available all hours the Library is open, except for a short period of time the first Saturday afternoon each month for CAS database maintenance, see http://www.cas.org/support/academic/sf/newhours.html  CSM does not subscribe to the Substructure Search Module (SSM).
• Search by chemical name, formula, structure, Registry Number, author, general topic etc. Analyze and Refine search results in creative ways to focus your results.
• The online HELP is good. Spend some time exploring it when you are connected to SciFinder Scholar.
• You cannot e-mail results from SciFinder Scholar. Download results to a USB/flash drive or print results ($0.10 per page print charge).
• The ChemPort link to full text does not have links to all our subscribed journals and e-journals.
  • Use Catalyst and  the E-pubs page to find an/or connect to all our journal subscriptions.
• SciFinder Scholar How To Guides

Other databases

• Other chemistry databases
  • Select Chemistry, click Submit
• Web of Science ( Science Citation Index Expanded ): we have online access from 1980 to present, and print from 1979-1994.
  • Web of Science is a multidisciplinary database with the added ability to do citation searches. It is not a substitute for SciFinder Scholar for chemistry searching.

Journals

• Locating journal articles
• The Library subscribes to most current ACS journals in print and online.
• The Library also subscribes to the ACS Legacy Archives (all titles, volumes, issues, and articles published by the ACS from 1879 to 1995).

Registry Numbers

• Info on the CAS substance registry database
• CAS Registry Numbers are 3-part numbers, usually notated with square brackets

  • e.g. [137-58-6] is lidocaine

  • RN searches are powerful - they simultaneously search multiple synonyms, Trade Names, etc. for the substance.
  • Whenever possible, use CAS RNs to search SciFinder Scholar
• Sources for Registry Numbers include
  • Dictionary of Chemical Names & Synonyms
  • Merck Index
  • Dictionary of Organic [or Inorganic, or Organometallic] Chemistry
  • NIST Chemistry WebBook
  • Syracuse Research Corp Datalog