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Chemistry Subject Guide

1. Think about and develop a SEARCH STRATEGY!

• Search Strategy Guide
  • The library has a helpful guide to walk you through this process…how to think about your topic (in general) and what types of resources to use. Your discipline area will determine what resources you select.

2. Sample Reference Resources for Finding Background Information and Facts

• General Information
• Your Textbook or General Chemistry Textbooks (browse the QD 200-299 call numbers on 2nd floor)
• McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology (Reference Q121 .M3 1992) / Access Science (Online version)
• McGraw-Hill Concise Encyclopedia of Chemistry (Reference QD 4 .M34 2004)
• Dictionary of Chemistry  (Reference QD 5 .M522 2003)
• MacMillan Encyclopedia of Chemistry (Reference QD4 .M33 1997)
• Knovel Scientific Reference Books is an online resource (also found in the datebases list) with the full text reference resources, including some listed here.  See the "Chemistry and Chemical Engineering" section of the database.
• Information about Substances / Molecules / Compounds / Drugs
• Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology (Reference TP9 .E685 1992 and Reference TP9 .K54 1999)
  • Contains information about material structure, properties, preparation, and uses.
• Lange's Handbook of Chemistry (Reference QD65 .L36 2005)
• Merck Index (Reference RS 51 .M4 2006)
  • The Merck Index contains a wide variety of information about molecules and chemical substances, including: molecular formulas, chemical composition, structural diagrams, common uses, melting/boiling points, and selected literature references for preparation, synthesis, and pharmacology. An accompanying CD-ROM disk is kept at the Public Services Desk.
• CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (Reference QD 65 .H3 for newest edition; older editions at QD 65 .H3 in the main collection may be checked out.)
• Physicians Desk Reference (Reference RS250 .P5 2007)
  • Provides information about drugs/poisons.
• Information about Chemists:
  • Great Chemists  (Reference QD21 .F35)
  • Women in Chemistry and Physics  (Reference QD21 .W62 1993)
  • American Men & Women of Science (Reference Q141 .A474 2003; Newer edition is available as an e-book--link from the Library Catalog.)
  • Notable Scientists from 1900 to the Present (Reference Q141 .N728 2001)
  • Browse the QD21section in Reference and the main collection for additional books about chemists, and QD22 in the main collection for books about individual chemists.

3. Catalogs for Finding Books

• JDH Library Catalog --search for your topic or synonyms for your topic by keyword in the Guided Search.
  Use "UW Catalogs" to find and request items at other UW Libraries.
• WorldCat --search your topic as above and use the Interlibrary loan button to get those materials not in JDH Library.

4. Indexes for Finding Journal Articles (see also "Sciences" section of index list)

If the library does not have the journal you need (in paper or electronic form--ask us, we'll help), use Interlibrary Loan to request the article(s) you need.  See the Library How-to Guide Finding Journal Articles for more on how to search for citations and locate full text.

• Applied Science and Techology Full Text
  • Full-text articles about topics ranging from engineering and aeronautics to chemistry and physics. An excellent starting point for finding articles about a science topic.  (Select from the list of Wilson Databases.)
• General Science Full Text
  • Full-text articles about topics in the sciences. An excellent starting point. Can be searched simultaneously with Applied Science and Technology Full Text.  (Select from the list of Wilson databases.)
• American Chemical Society (ACS)
  • Fulltext articles from 25 American Chemical Society journals.
• ISI Web of Science's Science Citation Index Expanded
  • Citation tracing and regular topical searching for journal articles related to science topics.
• Beilstein
  • Available in 209 Barstow Hall, NOT in the library.

5. Web Sites of Interest

• NIH's Center for Molecular Modeling
• NIST Chemsitry Web Book
• EPA's Envirofacts Master Chemical Integrator
• Materials Safety Data Sheets Index
• Chemfinder.com (provided by CambridgeSoft)

6. For More Information

• Ask the Reference Librarians for help and assistance. It is what we are here for!
• Ask your Professor for suggestions and pointers.

 

Designed and Created by Jeneen LaSee-Willemssen
Last updated: December 13, 2007
Copyright © 2001. All Rights Reserved.