Subject Research Guides   University of West Florida Libraries

Chemistry Library Resources

The information contained on this site is grouped in two categories:

• General descriptions of the chemical literature and the various resources available
• Compiled lists of resources available at UWF which have been divided into various chemistry sub-disciplines or special topics within chemistry:

Organic Chemistry Physical Chemistry Biochemistry Inorganic Chemistry

Analytical Chemistry Spectroscopy Molecular Modeling

General Information

In general, the chemical literature is used for either

• gathering data and information for the laboratory (experimental protocols, physical data on compounds, etc), or
• gathering information to learn about a specific subject or topic.

The literature of chemistry may be divided into several main categories:

There are many sub-disciplines within the field of chemistry. Library resources are organized by the Library of Congress subject classification system, which means chemistry resources may be found in different areas of the library under the following call numbers:

Guides to the Chemical Literature

Guides to the literature are useful when learning to conduct research in chemistry. Many of these guides provide descriptions and instructions on the use of classic and modern resources.

Chemical Information: A Practical Guide to Utilization. 1988. (Ref. QD 8.5 W64 1988)

This guide introduces the chemistry scholar to the appropriate use of chemical literature. It includes overviews of scientific journals, handbooks, databases, and other sources in chemistry.

How to Find Chemical Information. 1998. (Ref. QD 8.5 M34 1998) and NetLibrary

In addition to to providing an introduction to reference materials, journals, and books in chemistry, this source covers the essentials of Chemical Abstracts. It also provides information on other online systems. This guide provides an overview of modern resources for the chemistry scholar.

The Literature Matrix of Chemistry. 1982. (Ref. QD 8.5 S58 1982)

Although dated, this guide provides a useful introduction to classic reference materials in chemistry (e.g., Beilstein's, Houben-Weyl's, Theilheimer's, Merck Index, and Comprehensive Organic Chemistry), journals, and indexes. There is a chapter on the evolution of chemistry literature, which helps place research sources in perspective.

Primary Journals

Original research is the foundation of the primary journals. Generally, each paper is submitted by research chemists describing the purpose of the research, the experimental results with discussion, and the summary and significance of the research. The authors also submit an abstract (Rapid communication of preliminary results of significance are provided without detailed experimental work).

Articles submitted to these journals are reviewed by external referees whose opinions determined whether the manuscript is accepted, perhaps with revisions, or rejected. Even with the review process, the responsibility for the data presented and the discussions offered rests with the researcher(s) who submitted the manuscript.

There are three main types of journal articles used in chemistry:

• Full papers -comprehensive, critical accounts of the solution of significant problems. Papers are not usually limited in length.



• Letters/Notes -concise accounts describing novel observations, new methods of wide applicability or interest, or focused studies of general interest. Letters and notes are limited in length to four printed journal pages



• Communications - generally restricted to reports of unusual urgency, timeliness, significance, and broad interest.Communications are limited in length (usually two pages) and are rapidly put in print. They are normally followed with a Full Paper at a future date.

Monographs and Primers

When results in a rather specific research area reach a sufficient level, reviews and monographs result. Generally these are intensive reviews of one or two closely related areas which are well documented with references to the primary literature. These monographs are written or edited by researcher(s) who are considered experts in the field.

Chemistry books may be identified in the Libraries' Online Catalog by using author, title, keyword, and subject searches. They are primarily located on the third floor of the UWF Library.

Chemistry primers are written as general introductions to a broad range of topics. These sources can be excellent starting points for learning about new fields of study.

Reference Books and Handbooks

Generally, chemistry reference books are compendia of information that may be categorized in two groups:

• physical data (melting/boiling points, spectroscopic data, and other physical properties), or
• experimental protocols and techniques.

This is where you would go when you are looking for specific data, not to learn information about a subject.

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Review Journals

Like monographs, review journals usually contain issues that are limited to one or two related topics prepared by experts in the field. These publications generally give a historical and critical discussion of the subject matter and provide a convenient list of reference materials. A student should not limit a literature search to review articles even if the author's bibliography is extensive. It is important to constantly keep up with the current literature since the publication of papers usually takes an average of six to eighteen months from when the paper is first written.

Abstracts and Databases

Journals are indexed by abstracts and databases, which are currently being facilitated by computers. These journals may be searched manually (by browsing current issues) or by using a comprehensive database such as SciFinder Scholar. The information in databases is indexed by authors' names, subjects, keywords, names of compounds, molecular formulae, and patents by number. SciFinder Scholar is the online version of Chemical Abstracts, which is the current major abstracting service. Chemische Zentralblatt and Beilstein's Handbuch are useful for older (1930 and before) literature.

Internet

The Internet is a rich source of information, although not all web sites provide accurate or authoritative data. It is helpful to limit searches to sites published by universities, professional organizations, or government agencies. If you are in doubt about the quality of the sites you have found, consult the online tutorial on the Internet.

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