CHEM2243: Honors Organic Chemistry

• Most library databases include a "save" feature for search results, search strategies, or both
• Usually you need to create an account within the database platform to save search strategies
• Use citation tools to store and partially format references
• Searching is iterative and you may need to revise your search strategy

• Find properties for known substances, or enter desired properties to identify candidate substances
• Most chemistry databases use an internal thesaurus which includes
  • Common names
  • Chemical names following assorted nomenclature rules
  • Trade names
• Chemical identifiers like CAS Registry Numbers (CAS RNs) can be extremely specific:
  • An element, its ion(s), and its isotopes may all have different CAS RNs.
  • Stereoisomers of a compound may have different CAS RNs.
• Also see tips in the "Search Chemical Structures" box on this page

To save time, instead of drawing chemical structures...

• Import a structure file
• Use identifiers like CAS Registry Numbers (CAS RNs) and chemical names to find a structure
• Search by substance to retrieve a structure

• Substance records link to chemical literature references about the substance
• When planning your search strategy
  • Think about broad and narrow terminology in the database. Do you need to specify "argon," "radon," etc., or will "noble gases" retrieve everything about those elements?
  • Think about word forms, and when you can use truncation (wildcards) to find them. "reduc*" usually works, but you will need to spell out "freeze dried" and "freeze drying"
  • Find out if a database automatically searches for British spelling variants like sulfur / sulphur, estrogen / oestrogen, etc.
• Use publication format filters or limits to identify or exclude search results by publication format
  • Use review articles for overviews of a topic, when you need material more current and/or more in-depth than what a chemistry encyclopedia provides
  • Use patents to see some of the latest research on a topic, or to research a potential employer

• Think about variations in author names:
  • Li Wu could be indexed as Wu Li
  • Müller could be indexed as Mueller
  • Mauricio Pereira da Cunha could be indexed under Pereira da Cunha, da Cunha, or Cunha
• Check how many authors or author addresses/affiliations are indexed

Published research is a long-term conversation—and sometimes debate.

• Authors respond to and draw upon earlier works, listed in their cited references
• In turn, citing references respond to a particular work by an author
• Each database which tracks citing references examines a unique subset of all published literature