Chemistry: Journals & Databases
Subject Librarian
Some Chemistry databases
Below are some of the databases available through the Library for Chemistry:
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SciFinder (from CAS) This link opens in a new windowNote that first time users must register before use. This comprehensive database for chemical reactions, substances, structures and indexed chemistry patents includes journal abstracts, patents and other literature references on all areas of science and its applications. Also containing detailed information on compounds and substances including their properties, reactions and full synthetic methods as well as protein and nucleotide sequences. A sophisticated Retrosynthesis Planner available can also be found in SciFinder.
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SciFinder (registration) This link opens in a new windowFirst-time users must register at this site before accessing ScFinder.
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CAS: Analytical Methods This link opens in a new window CAS Analytical MethodsTM is a curated collection of over 500 K step-by-step analytical protocols, extracted from peer reviewed literature and patent sources. Cut down on time searching for analytical methodologies with CAS Analytical MethodsTM, a platform containing collated methodologies highlighting analytes, matrices, reagents, instruments, consumables and validation information, in easy to read and downloadable documents. Access CAS Analytical Methods using your SciFinder-n username and password, or first time users must register using the "CAS SciFinder-n registration" link above.
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CAS: Formulus This link opens in a new window CAS Formulus® is a curated collection of over five million formulation records from peer reviewed literature, patents and product inserts from the US FDA. Access a world leading collection of formulations to evaluate ingredients, manufacturing processes and regulatory information in a user friendly interface. Access CAS Formulus using your SciFinder-n username and password, or first time users must register using the "CAS SciFinder-n registration" link above.
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CAS SciFinder Discovery Platform This link opens in a new window The CAS SciFinder Discovery Platform is designed to support multiple stages and types of scientific research. It combines task-specific information solutions including CAS SciFinder-n, CAS Formulus®, CAS Analytical Methods™ and other CAS resources. The CAS SciFinder Discovery Platform supports multifaceted scientific research such as retrosynthetic planning, formulation design, testing-related methods research, and biosequence searching. Access the platform using your SciFinder-n username and password, or first time users must register using the "CAS SciFinder-n registration" link below.
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Gale Interactive Chemistry (Gale Cengage) This link opens in a new windowThis database includes interactive 3-D models that allow students to explore elements, reactions, crystals, molecules, and compounds. Explore 3-D models by zooming in, rotating, and dissecting them.
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Scopus This link opens in a new windowScopus is a very large abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature, including journals, books and conference proceedings. It covers over 23,000 titles in the fields of science, technology, medicine, social sciences, arts and humanities, Though it includes much older content, it reliably covers from 1970-present.
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Web of Science Core Collection This link opens in a new window
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Web of Science All Databases This link opens in a new window
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Google Scholar This link opens in a new window
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Google Scholar (off-campus access only) This link opens in a new window
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PubMed This link opens in a new windowPubMed is a free resource supporting the search and retrieval of biomedical and life sciences literature with the aim of improving health–both globally and personally.
The PubMed database contains more than 30 million citations and abstracts of biomedical literature. It does not include full-text journal articles; however, links to the full text are often present when available from other sources, such as the publisher's website or PubMed Central (PMC).
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SAGE Research Methods This link opens in a new windowSAGE Research Methods supports research at all levels by providing material to guide users through every step of the research process. Nearly everyone at a university is involved in research, from students learning how to conduct research to faculty conducting research for publication to librarians delivering research skills training and doing research on the efficacy of library services. SAGE Research Methods has the answer for each of these user groups, from a quick dictionary definition, a case study example from a researcher in the field, a downloadable teaching dataset, a full-text title from the Quantitative Applications in the Social Sciences series, or a video tutorial showing research in action.
Tutorials - Databases and search skills
These Otago tutorials teach you how to search these key databases:
Otago tutorials on other databases:
These Otago tutorials provide a basic introduction to key skills and knowledge needed to search the databases effectively:
Assess your findings
Evaluating and thinking critically about sources of information are important skills to develop and apply while undertaking research.
Not all information is reliable and appropriate for academic work, and not all information is relevant to your particular topic.
You should challenge and reflect on information that you find; don’t just accept everything you read.
Te Whatu Aho Rau - He Anga Arotake: an information evaluation framework
It provides a holistic Māori-informed view of the information evaluation process, to apply as you find and select quality information.
Collaborators: Dr Angela Feekery and Reupena Tawhai, 2024
Te Whatu Aho Rau can be interpreted as 'the weaving of a hundred threads' or 'the eye catching a hundred lights'.
Assess sources, based on:
- Pūtaketanga - Origin - trace the expertise, intent and authority
- Aronga - Lens, Perspective, Purpose - objectivity of the information
- Tātai hononga - Connections - conversations between ideas, communities, and disciplines
- Māramatanga - Understanding - usability of the source for your purpose, audience, and context
Formerly known as Rauru Whakarare Evaluation Framework
Assess sources, based on:
- Orokohanga - ‘The Origins’: The source of the information
- Mana - ‘The Authority’ of the information
- Whakapapa - ‘The Background’ of the information
- Māramatanga - ‘The Content’ and usability of the information
- Aronga- ‘The Lens’ or objectivity of the information
Work through this tutorial to develop your skills in evaluating information that you find online:
SIFT - Evaluating Information Tutorial
Even though the library databases are good sources of information, we still need to evaluate that information before we decide to use it. You can do this by asking the following questions:
- Is the information relevant to your topic?
- Who are the authors, are they experts in the field? Who do they work for? What else have they written?
- What evidence is given, what references are given, and what methodology is used?
- How is the study funded? Is there a bias?
- When was the information written, is it still relevant? Has it been updated or amended in light of new evidence?
Use the acronym BADURL to help you evaluate online sources:
B ... Bias
A ... Authority
D ... Date
U ... URL
R ... Relevance
L ... Links
Work through this tutorial to develop your skills in evaluating information that you find online:
Or apply these terms to assess if the information you have found answers your research question.
Timeliness
Relevance
Authority
Accuracy
Purpose
Here are some resources to help develop your evaluating skills:
- For a simple 'commonsense' approach to evaluating claims made by the news media, read this short article by Doug Specht & Julio Gimenez from the University of Westminster, and pay close attention to the 6 'steps for reading like a scientist'.
- If you need to verify a claim, you can check it on a fact-checking website. Check out this guide to Fact Checkers, curated by the University of California Berkley Library, for ideas on what websites to use if you are not sure.
- Work through this excellent module on 'evaluating information and critical thinking' created by The University of Sheffield Library.
- Check out this fun, short, easy game, created by a Canadian civics charity organisation 'CIVIX'. The game is designed to improve your verifying sources skills, by teaching you tricks for checking a claim, a source and an image: FAKEOUT
If the article you want is not online?
Try these options:
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Library Search | KetuSearch the journal title to see if Otago holds the hardcopy of the issue you need.
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InterloansIf Otago does not hold the issue in hardcopy, submit an Interloans request for the article. Staff will try to get the article for you from another Library. Article requests are free.
Some sources for review articles
Review articles provide an introduction to and overview of developments in a particular field. They summarise the current state of knowledge and identify articles which have had significant impact.
Here are three journals that are excellent sources of review articles:
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Accounts of Chemical ResearchFrom the ACS. Volume 1 (1968) to the present.
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Annual ReviewsProvides searchable abstracts and full-text access to analytic reviews (back to volume 1) in disciplines within the biomedical, life, physical, and social sciences.
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Chemical ReviewsFrom the ACS. Volume 1 (1924) to the present.
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Chemical Society ReviewsFrom the RSC. Volume 1 (1972) to the present.
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ChemSpiderA free-to-access collection of compound data from across the web. Provided by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), it aggregates chemical structures and their associated information into a single searchable repository.