LibGuides: CHEM.2600: Information Retrieval for Chemists: Important Websites

Web Sites Needed

The following Websites will be required during this course:

SciFinder-n is the most important tool for chemistry research. We will devote a large number of classes to learning how to search in SciFinder-n. This database is supplied by the University and will not be available to you once you leave UML. You will need your own username and password to use SciFinder-n, and you must use your UML email address, so they recognize that you are entitled to access SciFinder-n.

Millipore-Sigma
Formerly Aldrich. Contains chemical information, formulas, structures, IR and NMR spectra, and SDS sheets. .
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References from this site are not complete nor well indexed.

PubChem This link opens in a new window
PubChem is an open chemistry database at the National Institutes of Health. PubChem includes information on chemical structures, identifiers, chemical and physical properties, biological activities, patents, health, safety, toxicity data, and more. ChemIDPlusLite has been added to the PubChem database (Dec 2022) and no longer exists as a separate service.
Handbook of Chemistry and Physics Online This link opens in a new window
Most basic of all chemical resources, now available as web-based tool. Can search by words or by property values as well as by CAS numbers.
Merck Index This link opens in a new window
One-volume encyclopedia of chemicals, drugs, and biologicals.

Combined Chemical Dictionaries
Great place to search chemicals, polymers and drugs. Gives basic information and references to the literature.

Knovel Technical Reference This link opens in a new window
Key collections of over 1,600 engineering and science reference books - including textbooks, handbooks, and manuals - from well-known academic publishers. Some books include live or downloadable data for further analysis.
Sax's Dangerous Properties of Industrial Materials 12th ed. This link opens in a new window
Excellent detailed toxicity information and references for most industrial chemicals. To access the abbreviations for the 12th edition of SAX, login to Blackboard and find the complete list posted there, in PDF format

SAX Abbreviations deciphered
Lists of all abbreviations used in SAX entries, with explanations.
SAX Abbreviations II
Dose abbreviations explained.
SAX Hazard Rating
Copy of explanation of Hazard Rating from SAX, 9th edition.

CASSI
Searchable list of journal abbreviations.found in SFS and many other science resources.

HathiTrust This link opens in a new window
A digital archive of library materials shared and co-managed by a consortia of academic libraries. Not all materials are available for full view. For more information about what is accessible to the UML community, select "more" below.
Coverage: Full text are mostly pre-1922

As non-member, the UML community has reading access to items that are open access and labeled “full view” only. Items labeled “Limited (search only)” are not available to our community at this time.

EndNote Online
Citation management software, provided by UML. Class format will be ACS.
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Both web and software versions available. Usable for any paper, in any class, as all citation formats are available.
EndNote Software
Optional, the software version of EndNote, accessible to you as long as you are part of the UML campus.
NIST Chemistry WebBook
Thermodynamic and ion energetics data, IR and mass spectra
Organic Syntheses
Excellent free resource with great details on the syntheses of compounds. All material has been checked and references are included.
Yaws Handbook of Antoine Coefficients for Vapor Pressure
Yaws Handbook with interactive tables

Additional Helpful Websites

The following web sites may be helpful during this course or afterwards and are listed here so that you may connect more easily.

UML E-Journal List

Academic Search Ultimate This link opens in a new window
A very large and broad collection of academic journals, with many peer-reviewed and full-text journal titles across almost all academic disciplines. Also includes some popular press content such as newspaper articles and news videos from the Associated Press. A good place to start for almost any topic, and can be followed-up with deep dives into specific subject databases.

Publication dates: approximately 1990 - current (much earlier for some titles)

ACS Guide to Scholarly Communications. 2020 ed. Quick Style Guide.
A quick overview of citing, with examples of a wide variety of references.

Beyond CASSI
A nice summary of abbreviations often found in old journal articles and not interpreted by CASSI.

Core Journal List
List of important journals in Chemical Abstracts, including standard abbreviations.
ChemSpider
Free website from Royal Society of Chemistry, for searching for Chemicals.
ChemTox
EPA sponsored site. Central place to check toxicity of common chemicals.
Chemical Information Sources
Wikibook. Resources collected by Indiana University and Gary Wiggins. Includes critical evaluations of free and fee chemical resources.
Common Chemistry

Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) This link opens in a new window
Access to over 19,000 scientific and scholarly journals. Coverage varies.

eChemPortal
European Chemical Information site, similar to PubChem.

HathiTrust This link opens in a new window
A digital archive of library materials shared and co-managed by a consortia of academic libraries. Not all materials are available for full view. For more information about what is accessible to the UML community, select "more" below.
Coverage: Full text are mostly pre-1922

As non-member, the UML community has reading access to items that are open access and labeled “full view” only. Items labeled “Limited (search only)” are not available to our community at this time.

LookChem
PubChem HELP
For assistance in using PubChem, use these help pages.
Public Library of Science (PLOS)
Searches and links to large number of articles in Biology and medicine. All articles are Open Access.

PubMed Central (PMC) This link opens in a new window
Free government site, offering full text access to all articles and reports produced by researchers with NIH/NSF grants.

Science Research
Research site for scientific information.
Science.gov
The one place to search for scientific information throughout all the science related government sites.
ToxInfo
Replacement for ToxNet which was discontinued by NIH. Covers six of the most important Toxicology databases.

Periodic Tables

ACS Interactive Periodic Table
Great site from the American Chemical Society.
Web Elements
Good details on all the elements.
Periodic Table.com
Site is full of more unusual information about each element.

Beilstein Information

Beilstein Journal Abbreviations
Explains the journal abbreviations in Beilstein and directs user to the journals

Beilstein Dictionary
Free German dictionary, aimed at Chemists.

Physical Properties Word List from Beilstein
List of abbreviations used for various properties in Beilstein
Beilstein Nitromethane Handout
a page from the Nitromethane entry in the 4th supplement.