Chemistry information online: a quick guide to born-digital and re-born digital sources--part 2.

There is a vast amount of chemical information resources available digitally, either through the internet or via online databases, both free and fee-based.

We selected a few of the newer Internet sites with almost exclusively freely available content, that is, those that were "born digital." We also selected some chemical information resources that many science librarians would recognize as "classics" in the print versions, but are also available in online or Internet versions, that is: they have been "reborn" in a digital environment. Reborn resources such as these often try to combine the content of the print version with the special features that a digital version provides. Part 1 of this article is printed in the May issue of Information Outlook.

Databases

Web of Science

www.scientific.thomson.com/products/wos Web of Science (WOS) is a Web-based interface to a comprehensive multi-disciplinary, scientific bibliographic database. Produced by Thomson Scientific, this database grew out of the ISI Science Citation Index. Chemistry and chemical-related information are covered. Searchers can use the citation searching and analysis features in addition to traditional bibliographic search techniques. WOS is available via a subscription.

INDEX

www Virtual Library--Links for Chemists

www.liv.ac.uk/Chemistry/Links

This section of the www Virtual Library provides visitors with an index of chemistry-related links. It includes more than 8,000 links and an additional 2,000 provided on partner sites. The links on this site are grouped under major subject headings that include university chemical departments, companies and industry, chemical literature, chemical information, organizations, topics, and other link sites.

Reference Sources

CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics

www.hbcpnetbase.com

Published by CRC Press, a Taylor & Francis Company, this major chemistry reference work has been reborn from print into a digital format. Now in its 88th edition, this handbook is best known for its tables of chemical substance property information, such as physical and thermodynamic properties. Since this is a one-volume handbook, the list of substances covered is not comprehensive. The fee-based online version of this handbook is available as a stand-alone resource or as part of the package of related chemical information resources called ChemNetBase.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology

www.mrw.interscience.wiley.com/emrw/0471238961/home

This encyclopedia, also called just "Kirk-Othmer" for short, is published by Wiley Interscience. The venerable resource is in its fifth edition in print. Spanning all areas of applied chemistry and chemical technology, Kirk-Othmer provides a good starting point for those needing some background in chemical science topics. Searching and viewing the abstracts in the online version is free for all users. The online version is constantly updated, and this is both its strong point and a shortcoming in some respects. Having the most up-to-date information on chemical topics is important, and being able to search through the full-text in the online version is helpful. However, many chemical or science libraries also keep the print editions because this reference work is often cited in the literature and a specific article from a previous edition that is not online might be needed.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

The Merck Index

www.merckbooks.com/mindex/online.html

Another handy print reference source for chemical information that has been reborn in electronic format is The Merck Index. Published by Merck & Co, Inc., it is available online for a fee through various sources, including the publisher (co-published by CambridgeSoft), as a separate database file on both Thomson Dialog and STN, and in its most recent digital incarnation, through Knovel (www.knovel.com), a database of aggregated value-added reference content in the applied chemical and engineering areas. The Merck Index includes short but information-rich descriptions of common, commercialized chemical substances and drugs. Depending on the version, this resource can be searched by chemical or trade names, CAS Registry numbers, keywords, etc.

Societies

Two major societies for the chemistry profession are the American Chemical Society (www.acs.org) and the Royal Society of Chemistry (www.rsc.org). Each of these societies has a publishing division for scholarly research journals. Each also publishes a magazine for the chemical industry, the weekly Chemical & Engineering News (http://pubs.acs.org/cen) and the monthly Chemistry World, (www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/index.asp). Free content in Chemical & Engineering News Magazine includes the cover story, latest news articles, education features, career and employment articles, as well as fun items like "Critter Chemistry" and "What's That Stuff." RSC also provides selected free content in Chemistry World, such as the featured article, editorials, and news. For other chemistry-related societies worldwide, see www.liv.ac.uk/Chemistry/Links/chemsocs.html.

Tutorials

The Internet Chemsit Tutorial,

www.vts.intute.ac.uk/tutorial?sid=1698794&op=preview&manifestid=193&itemid=12021

From Intute, the site provides visitors with a free, interactive tutorial to help improve Internet research skills for chemical information. The site also provides exercises to gain experience with the tools and resources suggested. Another key component is a section that allows visitors to learn how to judge the credibility of the information they gather. This is an excellent tool for those who are looking to develop very basic chemical research skills.

Chemical Abstract Service Learning Center

www.cas.org/support/index.html

CAS provides how-to guides and training modules that help users learn the skills they need to effecively use its fee-based SciFinder and STN products. This allows beginning searchers to become familiar with the workings of popular chemical information tools used within many of today's special information environments.

Wiki

Chemical Information Sources Wiki

http://cheminfo./nformatics. Indiana. edu/cicc/idex.php/Main_Page A project started by Gary Wiggins, the CIS Wiki is meant to be a guide for those interested in chemistry reference materials. As the instructor for a chemistry information course at Indiana University, Wiggins decided to post his notes and other course materials in wiki format in 2007. Intended to be an open source work, contributions are welcomed from those who have the knowledge and desire to improve the site. The information on the wiki is divided into six major topics including: how and where to start your chemistry search, how to conduct both general and specialized searches and communicating in chemistry.

The wiki also points visitors to four related tools:

1. The Chemical References Sources Database (CRSD), which provides a searchable database of reference sources.

2. Selected Information Resources for Chemistry (SIRCh), another wiki that provides links to Internet resources on chemistry-related questions.

3. The Clearinghouse for Chemical Information Instructional Materials (CCIIM Wiki), which links to materials designed to help people learn how to use chemical reference tools.

4. The CICOURSE listserv, a venue for chemistry teachers and workshop instructors to exchange ideas.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

For More Information

Baykoucheva, Svetla. "A New Era in Chemical Information: PubChem, DiscoveryGate, and Chemistry Central." Online 31(3): 16-20 (2007).

Bazler, Judith A., Chemistry Resources in the Electronic Age. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2003.

Gibson, Paul, "Top-Quality Sites for Serious Scientists." Information Today 14(3): 50-51 (1997).

Glander-Hobel, Cornelia. "Internet Portals for Chemists." Online Information Review 26(3): 146-163 (2002).

Goodman, David and Deis, Louise. "Update on Scopus and Web of Science." Charleston Advisor 8(3): 15-18 (2007). Retrieved January 14, 2008, from http://docserver.ingentaconnect.com/deliver/connect/charleston/15254011/v8n3/s7.pdf?expires=1205255395&id=42885652&titleid=7500 2231&accname=Guest+User&checksu m=EEB80494A0B665O15613481CF5 E39A54.

Huber, Charles F. "Chemistry Resources on the Internet." Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship (winter 1998). Retrieved January 14, 2008, from wwwJstl.org/98-winter/internel.html.

Lund University Libraries, Head Office. DOAJ--Directory of Open Access Journals: About Page. Retrieved on March 10, 2008 from: http://www.doaj.org/doaj?func=loadTernpl&templ=about

Rahoisha, A. "ABC Chemistry: About the Directory." Retrieved on March 10, 2008 from: http://www.abc.chemistry,bsu.by/current/about.htm

SOPHIA GUEVARA, MLIS, is an information professional. She is the president-elect of the SLA Michigan Chapter and is the Digital Content Section chair for the SLA Information Technology Division.

LURAY M. MINKIEWICZ is supervisor, external content management, at DuPont Company Central Research and Development, in Wilmington, DE. She is currently the chair-elect of the SLA Chemistry Division and past president of the SLA Philadelphia Chapter.