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CHEM.2600: Information Retrieval for Chemists

Course outline, information and materials for all undergraduate chemists.

UML Science databases

Scientific Database Descriptions

The Library Web site offers many databases for the exclusive use of the UMass Lowell campus. The material found here cannot be found using Internet search engines as the UML Libraries have paid for access. If you are "surfing" from off campus and access the Library home page, you will not be allowed to use these databases, unless you enter your UML credentials. 

The Library now has over 65,000 journals available in full text.  These journals may be available in one OR MORE databases which are subscribed to by the Library.  If you find an item you want, look for Linksource button. Click on it and you will be presented with a list of all places the item is available in Full Text.  These links will take you right to the article in another database. Links are also offered to the UML E-Journal list so you can see what journals we have in electronic format and connect to them directly from that list.  If you are searching for a particular journal, go to the UML E-journals to locate your journal. You may search by the exact name of the journal, or words from the name, or ISSN.  Links to both electronic and the UML paper collections are found here.

Ebsco Discovery Search is available. This service, like a "Google" for library databases, will search multiple databases with one search statement.   The Ebsco Discovery tool will search many of our databases, using your own search statement.  The more databases you add, the larger your answer set will be.  SciFinder Scholar cannot be searched this way.

 SciFinder-n, from Chemical Abstracts Service, a full electronic access. Open 24 hours a day with the exception of late Saturday into early Sunday morning.  To use Scifinder-n, you must register here and create a username and password.  Only current faculty, staff and students may register. 
This database is the premier source for any chemical information.  It covers upwards of 12,000 chemistry and chemistry-related titles per year.  SciFinder-n also offers links to other references, and links into many full-text items.  Absolutely the FIRST source for any chemical search.  Much detailed chemical searching available, including by structures and reactions. Chemical properties are also available, as well as millions of spectra. Indexing from the mid-1800's on to current, with daily updates.  Tutorials are available under the SciFinder tab.

Engineering Index.  1970-, is available as COMPENDEX, 1970- 
 1920-1969, Storage.  It covers approximately 7000 titles.
This database covers the field of engineering very well.  Links are also available to ScienceDirect journals. An extremely important source for all engineers, regardless of their specialty.  

ScienceDirect. (1995- for 1200 titles, 2002- for 800 additional titles.) This database covers approximately 2000 Elsevier journals, via our subscription through the Boston Library Consortium. Easily searchable and an excellent resource for science and engineering materials. As subscribers, you may set up free alert services if you wish to monitor developments in a particular field or a certain journal. 

MEDLINE, the premier medical database provided by the US Government, is available on Ebsco 1966- and in SciFinder-n. Essential to all biomedical researchers. Allows searching by CAS registry number. Also free on the WEB at: PubMed.   PubMed also offers links to journal articles but if UML does not subscribe to the electronic journal, the link will not work. PubMedCentral is the federal depository for NIH/NSF articles which must be made available free to the public within one year of their publication.

ProQuest Biological Sciences offers access to a comprehensive database covering all biological and biochemical topics. 

Knovel  A database of over 1600 technical handbooks in all fields of science and engineering.  Database may be searched for particular properties of a chemical, and a number of the titles offer interactive graphing capabilities. Knovel includes the entire International Critical Tables, and many important plastics engineering sources, such as the full text ANTEC (plastics engineering) conferences.

Wiley-Blackwell journals offers the full-text of 900 journals, back to 1997.  The majority of the journals are science and engineering titles.

Annual Reviews: offers full-text access to all Annual Review publications, from 1996-.  Premier source for review articles on any subject.

Academic Search Ultimate 1990-  This is a general information database supplier, which contains full text for about 4600 of the 5200 journals indexed.  Also includes other databases, which may be searched separately or in combination such as: Medline, CINAHL (nursing), PsycInfo & PsycArticles, ERIC (education), Econ Lit, SociologyFT, MLA Bibliography (literature), and Environmental Policy as well as others.

ASU offers indexing from 1984- and full text from 1990-.  For all Ebsco databases, Full Text or citations may be printed,  saved, emailed, or downloaded to EndNote.

Infotrac: 1980- This contains several databases of interest.  AcademicOneFile is the index for 1500 academic journals, including full text for about 1200 of them. There are many others, most covering specific smaller topics. For college papers do not use General Reference Center, which indexes only popular magazines, not suitable for your research endeavors.
This is a general database, a good place to start for material in any field.  Full Text or citations may be printed,  saved, emailed, or downloaded to EndNote.

Proquest Direct: One of the best sources of business information covering 1000 full text journals plus the New York Times, Wall Street Journal (1967-), and the Boston Globe (1980-). Backfiles available for newspapers (choose Historical Newspapers); New York Times backfile goes all the way back to 1851.
 All ProQuest databases can be printed, saved, emailed or downloaded to Endnote.

Nexis-Uni Business news and company directories and financial reports, medical, legal and biographical information. Court cases included, both federal and state. Full-text.  

Page created and maintained by: Marion Muskiewicz

last updated 2/22/2023