CHY 393: Undergraduate Seminar in Chemistry Course Guide

Scientific Communication

Research and publication "cycle"

Simplified model: Guide to Library Research in Science - Evolution of Scientific Information. More complex model: The Scientific Publication Cycle. Note that the Internet can serve as an informal communication tool, a medium for hosting "traditional" scholarly communication, and a source of new types of scholarly publications ("eprints").

Some common types of scientific literature

Most of the patents of interest to chemists are "utility" patents, which can cover objects, processes, or substances.

Style manuals and citation management

There is no universally accepted style manual for chemistry (nor, in many cases, for related disciplines). Journals usually post "instructions to authors" (or similarly labeled information) on their Web sites. URSUS lists library holdings for scientific (and other) style guides.

If you plan to conduct extensive library research, consider investing in bibliographic management software. Endnote is a popular product on campus.

Searching the Internet (and Elsewhere)

Numerous other Internet search engines exist, besides Google and Yahoo!. There are several "scholarly" search engines, including: Google Scholar, Scirus, and Live Search Academic.

Search Engine Showdown has a useful comparative Search Engine Features Chart, another chart comparing Web Subject Directories, and an assessment of some multiple search engines (also called meta or mega search engines).

Internet-only searches are useful for finding

• preliminary information on a highly specific topic
• opinions that might not be expressed through traditional scientific communication channels
• (occasionally) the full text of items unavailable locally.

General database search tips

• Try alternative terminology: chlorine free as well as environmentally friendly.
• Try alternative spelling: minimising as well as minimizing.
• Truncate (use a wildcard) to get variations on a word: environment* to find environment, environmentally,... Don't drop too many letters when you truncate! Use internal or left-handed truncation options, if available and appropriate.
• Combine terms, using

ORs for synonyms or closely related terms chlorine free or environmentally friendly
ANDs to "cross together" disparate concepts. bleaching and environmentally friendly
(Use NOT carefully to remove irrelevant results from a search. It's safer to use a combination of ANDs and your eyeballs.)

• Try combining ANDs, ORs, and truncation: environment* and (friendly or safe) and bleaching.
• Apply limits or refine your results--language, date, publication type, etc.

Notes on author searching

• Search by first initial as well as full first name
• Be flexible with prefixes (de, von, etc.), possible prefixes (Declerq or de Clerq?), hyphenated names, and compound names (Mauricio Pereira da Cunha)
• Consider reversing names (Wu Li or Li Wu?)

[End of class session 1]

Library Basics: Reminders and Updates

General library research sequence

• Document your research process in detail, preferably in a laboratory or project notebook.
• Keep in mind that different libraries will have different sets of resources--consult with a local librarian.

1. Define your question and parameters.
2. Design a search strategy: Where will you look? What keywords will you use?  Do the resources have a thesaurus or other controlled vocabulary? (You'll probably modify your list of keywords and subject terms as the search progresses.)
3. Use encyclopedias and handbooks for a general overview of an unfamiliar topic.
4. Use URSUS and other library catalogs (like MaineCat or WorldCat) to find books, bibliographies, and other more specific materials
5. Use databases to find journal articles, patents, dissertations, and other highly specific materials. (For an overview of a topic, start this phase with a search for review articles and dissertations.)
6. For an ongoing project, use tables of contents and other current awareness services to keep up with the literature.

Finding/obtaining library materials

For journal articles, see Finding Items at Fogler Library. For books, dissertations, theses, and government documents, see the Finding Books section of Introduction to Library Research.

Patents are best located by issuing agency:

• U.S. patents (may require TIFF viewer)
• Canadian patents
• European patents.

For items not available within Fogler Library or from the library Web page, see Getting Items From Other Libraries. Most items are free, but sometimes other libraries charge delivery and copying fees for journal articles. On the article request form, indicate the maximum cost you are willing to pay in case there is a charge. Usually article copies are delivered as PDF files, but some libraries send paper copies only. Paper-based interlibrary loan ("ILL") items are sent to the Fogler Library Reserve Desk, usually within 2 weeks.

Databases: Finding References to Journal Articles (and Other Items)

The primary database for chemistry available at Fogler Library is SciFinder Scholar, but there are many other databases worth searching as well. Select databases with appropriate subject coverage and scope for your topic. Also consider the database indexing (if any), and its non-subject aspects: publication formats included, geographic and linguistic coverage, years covered, and update frequency.

Citation Searching

Underlying assumption: items cited in a publication are likely to address the same topic as the citing publication. Citation searching permits "forward" as well as "backward" searching on a topic.

Web of Science is the premier citation searching tool. See Web of Science database guide. Citation search functions have been added to some specialized databases, including SciFinder Scholar, that cover journals (and other items) not handled in Web of Science.

[End of class session 2]

SciFinder Scholar

Primary database: SciFinder Scholar

SciFinder Scholar Content at a Glance

• CAplus
• MEDLINE and OLDMEDLINE (leads to some duplication of CAplus)
• CAS REGISTRY
• CASREACT
• and more...

Quirks:

• "Black box"
• Exception to most of the search tips listed above
• Favors retrieval over precision
• Extremely powerful search analysis and refinement tools
• Primitive current awareness capability (reserved for SciFinder, the corporate version)

University of Maine notes

• Single user access
• Currently we do not subscribe to the SciFinder Substructure Module ("SSM")--substructure searches are not possible, so all chemical structure searches are "exact" only. This limits your ability to perform complex searches on structures and topics related to structures.
• Subscription choices are based on price (PDF file)
• Remote access possible only through UNET modem pools
• Abide by the User Agreement

Indexing (underlying structure) from Chemical Abstracts

• Each reference initially assigned to 1 of 80 sections of Chemical Abstracts
• Assigned during subsequent indexing: subject index terms, chemical substance names, substance class headings (example: "alkenes") when appropriate and CAS Registry Numbers (for substance classes and/or individual substances)
• CAS Registry Numbers assigned as precisely as possible--e.g., K, K¹⁺, and various K isotopes all have different numbers
• Also assigned to flesh out indexing: roles (PDF file), text-modifying phrases, "natural language" supplementary terms
• Only novelty, major topics, and key reactions are indexed
• For reactions with multiple steps, each step may be indexed as a reaction

General notes on searching

• Search in steps, starting with the approach that should provide the most comprehensive (but targeted) result
• Examine results critically--be prepared to modify initial search
• Try multiple approaches (remember to document the process!)
• Use Scholar search analysis and refinement tools
• Use a separate MEDLINE interface to most effectively search MEDLINE
• Save your reading for offline time
• Use Scholar "Exit" to end a session

Primary search options

Additional search options

You can trace "related" information from any set of search results. Options include:

• Cited references
• Citing references
• Chemical substances indexed
• Reactions indexed

Recommended Resources

• SciFinder Scholar Support Information: detailed examples of different types of searches, and other learning aids
• Information Retrieval: SciFinder and SciFinder Scholar, Sci Ref Z 699.5 .S3 R53 2002: a glimpse inside the black box of the SciFinder search software. Solutions to exercises are worth a look for search strategy hints, but beware the author's assumption that you have access to substructure searching.
• Getting Started with SciFinder Scholar 2007 for Windows (PDF file)
• Getting Started with SciFinder Scholar 2007 for Mac OS X (PDF file)
• Help files invoked from within SciFinder Scholar: when possible, view these offline so you're not tying up our seat
• SciFinder Scholar Database Guide: overview on installing and accessing SciFinder Scholar.

Even More Information on Chemical Information Searching

• Chemical Information Sources Wiki
• Chemical Literature (Chem 184/284) [University of California, Santa Barbara]

Questions?

Created by: Nancy Curtis | Revised: 01/30/2008

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