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Finding Background Information for Analytical Chemistry
Encyclopedias and handbooks are a good way to get a broad overview and context for a subject and helpful for deciphering research articles. References at the ends of articles lead you to further relevant information.
Other helpful sources of background information are review articles and trade magazines. You can find those using databases like SciFinder-n and Compendex and limiting by Document Type or Treatment Type.
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Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical TechnologyFind information on chemical substances including their properties, manufacturing, and uses. Articles focus on industrial processes and unit operations in chemical engineering; and environmental and health issues concerning chemical technology.
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Encyclopedia of Analytical ChemistryEncyclopedia of Analytical Chemistry is the most comprehensive analytical chemistry reference available, covering all aspects from theory and instrumentation through applications and techniques.
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Encyclopedia of Analytical ScienceEncyclopedia of Analytical Science, Second Edition is designed to provide a detailed and comprehensive publication covering all facets of the science and practice of analysis.
Finding Chemical & Physical Property Data
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Tutorial: How to Find Chemical and Physical Property InformationFinding chemical and physical property data is not always easy because there is no one place where all types of data for all substances is located, and it is not always clear where to look or whether you have looked in the right places. This tutorial will show you how and where to search.
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CRC Handbook of Chemistry and PhysicsAnnually published reference source for chemical & physical property data, nomenclature, structure, & composition of substances. Includes physical constants of organic & inorganic compounds, conversion factors, & much more.
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KnovelOnline access to books, databases, and conference proceedings from a number of publishers that cover all areas of engineering and includes content relevant to related sciences (e.g., chemistry and earth sciences). It includes interactive graphs and tables.
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Merck Index: An Encyclopedia of Chemicals, Drugs, and BiologicalsClassic reference source for chemists with over 10,000 entries on drugs and pharmaceuticals, common organic chemicals and laboratory reagents. The entries include data such as chemical names, molecular formula, chemical structure, physical data, and literature references.
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NIST Chemistry WebBookChemical and physical property data from NIST Standard Reference Data Program and outside contributors. Searchable by name, chemical formula, CAS registry number, molecular weight, chemical structure, or selected ion energetics and spectral properties.
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ReaxysProvides access to chemical structure, reaction, and property information on organic, inorganic, and organometallic compounds; its contents are derived from Beilstein (organic compounds) and Gmelin (inorganic and organometallic compounds), which date to the 18th and 19th centuries, as well as selected English-language chemical patents.
Finding Research Articles in Analytical Chemistry
Articles are the primary way scientists communicate research results. Use an article index or database to find articles on your topic; the citation includes article information like article title, author, journal name, issue, year, and the abstract.
When you are starting to delve into a new subject, review articles are your best friends. Most article databases will allow you to limit your search just to this type of publication or document. The long reference lists in review articles are also a good way to identify key articles.
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Tutorial: Using citations to find journal articles and booksLearn how to use citations in journal articles to identify other relevant articles and books and use Libraries Search to find them.
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SciFinder-nSciFinder-n is the updated version of SciFinder and is the best database for topics related to chemistry and adjacent fields. It includes journal articles, book chapters, dissertations, and patents. Find substance and reaction information as well as suppliers and chemical regulatory data.
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Web of ScienceA comprehensive interdisciplinary collection of journal article citations. Subjects generally covered are within science and technology, arts and humanities, and social sciences.
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Agricultural & Environmental Science DatabaseSearch journals and literature on agriculture, pollution, animals, environment, policy, natural resources, water issues and more. Searches tools like AGRICOLA, ESPM, and EIS databases.
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PubMedSearches MEDLINE, which is the primary source of journal articles for the health sciences (fields of medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, public health, health care systems, and basic sciences). Coverage is from the 1940s to the present.
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Tutorial: How to read and comprehend scientific research articlesLearn tips on how to read a scientific article, how to find the main points of the article, and how to take effective notes.
Finding Regulatory Information on Chemicals
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Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry (ATSDR)ATSDR is the government agency responsible for public health assessments of waste sites, health consultations concerning specific hazardous substances, health surveillance and registries, response to emergency releases of hazardous substances, applied research in support of public health assessments, information development and dissemination, and education and training concerning hazardous substances.
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Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Regulatory Information by TopicEPA develops and enforces regulations that span many environmental topics, from acid rain reduction to wetlands restoration. Each topic listed below may include related laws and regulations, compliance and enforcement information, and policies and guidance.
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Federal RegisterA daily publication of the US federal government that issues proposed and final administrative regulations of federal agencies; agencies are required when adding or augmenting a rule to post in the Federal Register. You can search by substance name. You can also browse by topic, agency, or date (the search box doesn’t work well).
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National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health: ChemicalsIncludes information from the NIOSH Manual for Analytical Methods and other related resources for a subset of chemicals commonly found in workplaces in the US.
Additional Library Services
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InterLibrary Loan & Digital DeliveryInterlibrary Loan (ILL) & Digital Delivery offers access to materials needed for courses and research, including materials not currently available within the University of Minnesota Libraries, AND digital copies of articles and book chapters from our print and microform collections. Free for currently-affiliated University students, faculty, and staff.
Creating References & Bibliographies
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ACS Style Quick GuideExamples for some of the most common source type citations in ACS Style
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CAS Source Index Search ToolUse this tool to quickly identify or confirm journal titles and abbreviations for publications indexed by CAS since 1907. Use the journal title abbreviations specified in CASSI for ACS Style citations.
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Zotero (Citation tool)Free, web-based software that is useful for organizing your research sources, creating bibliographies and sharing sources with others.
Importing to Zotero from SciFinder-n:
- Select reference(s) of interest by checking numbered box(es)
- Select Download Results (down arrow icon) at the top right of results list.
- Under File Type, select Citation (.ris).
- Change the File Name to something you'll recognize.
- Select Download.
- You can choose to Open the file with Zotero (it will import). Otherwise, save the file, open Zotero, select File then Import, locate the RIS file and select it, and it will be added to your Zotero library.
ACS Style is not a default style in Zotero. Go to the Zotero Style Repository to download the ACS .csl file at
https://www.zotero.org/styles?q=American%20Chemical%20Society. Find instructions on installing new styles at https://www.zotero.org/support/styles.
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Help Using ZoteroFind resources for support using Zotero
Off-Campus Access to Library Journals & Databases
In addition to going through links on the library website, we have 2 other ways to access resources from off-campus.
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Proxy Bookmarklet for off-campus accessAdd this button to your browser toolbar and click on it to reload a page and authenticate as a U of M user.
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Virtual Private Network (VPN)Download and log in to VPN before accessing resources
Last Updated: Jan 5, 2022 12:03 PM
URL: https://libguides.umn.edu/CHEM/4101