HOW TO FIND CHEMICAL INFORMATION

A Guide for Practicing Chemists, Educators, and Students

THIRD EDITION

Robert E. Maizell

Director, Technology Information Consultants Science Park New Haven, Connecticut Formerly Manager Business and Scientific Intelligence Centers Olin Corporation

A WILEY-INTERSCIENCE PUBLICATION

JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC.

New York • Chichester • Weinheim • Brisbane • Singapore • Toronto

CONTENTS

List of Tables xv

Preface xvii

List of Products and/or Services Requiring Trademark, Registered, or Servicemark Symbols xxi

1 Basic Concepts 1

1.1 The Information Professional and Literature Use 2

1.2 The Administrator and Information 3

2 Information Flow and Communication Patterns in Chemistry 7

3 Search Strategy 10

4 Keeping Up to Date: Current Awareness Programs 13 4.1 Introduction 13 4.2 Journal Circulation and Reading Clubs 14 4.3 Personal Plan of Action 14

A. Base of the Triangle: Chemical News Magazines 15 B. Middle Part of the Triangle: General Research Publications,

Title Announcements, and Abstracts Groupings 17 C. Apex of the Triangle: Specialized Journals, Selective

Dissemination, and Other Approaches 19 4.4 Meetings 30

A. Getting Copies of Meeting Papers 30 4.5 Research in Progress and Dissertations 33 4.6 Summary 36

5 How to Get Access to Articles, Patents, Translations, Specifications, and Other Documents Quickly and Efficiently 38

5.1 Introduction 38 5.2 Document Delivery Services 39 5.3 Reprints 42 5.4 Help Available from Chemistry Librarians 44

v

CONTENTS

5.6 5.7 5.8 5.9 5.10

Patent Documents Translations Specifications and Standards Personal Contacts Other Options

Chemical Abstracts Service: History and Development

6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 6.9 6.10 6.11 6.12

6.13 6.14 6.15

Introduction Physical Plant and Staff CA Abstracts Chemical Abstracts Indexes Chemical Abstracts Nomenclature Chemical Abstracts Sections Patent Documents Chemical Abstracts Service in Transition Computerization Chemical Abstracts Service Chemical Registry System CA Selects Cooperative Activities A. National Library of Medicine B. The Chemical Society; The Royal Society of Chemistry С Japan Association for International Chemical Information D. FIZ Karlsruhe E. IUPAC Pricing and Marketing Other Chemical Information Services Other Remarks

Essentials of Chemical Abstracts Use

7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7

Introduction CAS Products CAS Online Files and SciFinder Coverage Abstract and Index Content Speed of Coverage and Indexing Chemical Abstracts Indexes and Some Aspects of Searching A. Index Guide B. Chemical Substance Index С General Subject Index D. Formula Index E. Index of Ring Systems F. Author Index G. Patent Index

45 51 56 57 57

60

60 60 69 70 70 74 75 77 82 94 98 98 99 99 99 99 99

100 102 103

107

107 108 109 112 112 114 114 115 115 115 115 116 116 116

CONTENTS vii

H. Weekly Issue Indexes 116 I. CA Collective Indexes 116 J. Searching CA: General Remarks 117 К. Searching CA: Preparative Methods 122 L. Searching CA: Role Indicators 125

7.8 Chemical Abstracts Nomenclature and Searching Chemical Abstracts for Chemical Substances 126

7.9 Registry Handbook—Common Names 131 7.10 Ring Systems Handbook 132 7.11 Use of Subdivisions 134 7.12 Size 135 7.13 Complexity 136 7.14 Patent Document Coverage 136 7.15 Reviews 137 7.16 Chemical Marketing and Business Information 137 7.17 Dissertations 137 7.18 Coverage of Documents from the Soviet Union and Russia 138 7.19 Mistakes 138

Selected Other Abstracting and Indexing Services of Interest to Chemists 140

8.1 Traditional British, German, French, and Soviet or Russian Sources 140

8.2 Institute of Paper Science and Technology, CAB International, and Other "Smaller" Abstracting and Indexing Sources 144

8.3 Institute for Scientific Information 147 8.4 The Royal Society of Chemistry 153 8.5 Rapra 153 8.6 Cheminform and Other Fiz Chemie Products 155 8.7 National Library of Medicine Databases; EMBASE 156 8.8 BIOSIS 157 8.9 Engineering Index 158 8.10 Information Service for Physics, Electrical Engineering,

and Computing (INSPEC) 159 8.11 American versus British Spellings 160 8.12 Cambridge Scientific Abstracts 160 8.13 Government Services 168 8.14 Patents; Environment, Safety, and Health 168

Some United States Government Technical Information Centers and Sources 170

9.1 Introduction 170 9.2 National Technical Information Service 170 9.3 Defense Technical Information Center and Other DOD Sources 172

CONTENTS

9.4 Energy 173 9.5 National Library of Medicine 174

A. TOXLINE 175 B. Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances 175 C. Chemical Dictionary Online and ChemlD 176 D. Directory of Information Resources Online and TIRC 176 E. TOXNET 177

9.6 Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer 177 9.7 The Internet and Other Sources of Government Information 178

Online Systems and Databases, the Internet, CD-ROMs, and Related Topics 181

10.1 Introduction 181 10.2 Some Recent Developments 181 10.3 The Basics 183 10.4 Why Use Online Services? 184 10.5 Basic Strategies for Getting Started in Online and CD-ROM

Use and Keeping Up-to-Date 186 A. Getting Started: The Fundamentals 186 B. Online Databases of Interest to Chemists

and Chemical Engineers 187 C. Evaluation of Databases and Other Electronic Files 189 D. Keeping up with New Databases and with Changes

in Databases 192

10.6 Representative Online Services (Host Systems) 193 10.7 Telecommunications and Related Topics 198

A. Communications Software 199 10.8 Use of Online Databases: Some Important Caveats 200 10.9 Costs and Pricing 202 10.10 Online Search Strategy 203

A. Use of Variations of Search Terms 209 B. Commercial Aspects in Scientific Databases 211

10.11 Chemical Structure and Substructure Searching Using Computerized Systems 212

10.12 Notation Systems 215 10.13 Products Intended for Direct Use by the End User 216 10.14 Full-Text Databases 218 10.15 Internet Issues and Tools 220

A. Searching on the Internet 224 B. Tools to Help Chemists Keep Up-to-Date with and

Evaluate What's New on the Internet 225 C. Internet Costs 226 D. Cambridge Scientific Abstracts—Internet and Other

Products 226

CONTENTS ix

E. Knowledge Express Data Systems on the Internet 229 F. Selected Internet World Wide Web Addresses

of Chemistry Interest 229 G. Evaluation of Internet Files 233 H. Listservs, Newsgroups 233 I. Electronic Conferences 234

10.16 "Portable Databases": CD-ROM Products 235 10.17 MDL Information Systems, Inc. 240 10.18 Information Firms and Chemical Information Consultants 244

11 Reviews 247

12 Encyclopedias and Other Major References Books; Journals 251

I Encyclopedias and Other Major Reference Books 251

12.1 Introduction 251 12.2 Encyclopedias: Introductory Remarks 252

A. Specific Encyclopedias 252 B. Which Encyclopedia to Use 264 C. Other General Reference Sources: Choices for the Desktop 264

12.3 The Handbuch Concept 265 A. The Question of Obsolescence 265 B. On Potential Language Problems 266 С On Potential Complexity of Use 266

12.4 Organic Chemistry: Some Important Reference Works 266 A. Beilstein Handbook of Organic Chemistry 266 B. Dictionary of Organic Compounds 279 C. Some Other Important Organic Chemistry Reference Works 282 D. Name Reactions 284 E. Some Online and Other Sources of Organic Reactions 284

12.5 Inorganic Chemistry: Some Important Reference Works 284 A. Gmelin Handbook of Inorganic

and Organometallic Chemistry 284 B. Some Other Inorganic Chemistry Reference Works 291

12.6 Keeping Current with and Identifying Books 293

II Journals 294

12.7 Introduction 294 12.8 American Chemical Society Journals 296 12.9 Journals and Related Publications of The Royal Society

of Chemistry 299 12.10 Publications of AIChE 302 12.11 Elsevier Science Publishers, В .V. 302

CONTENTS

12.12 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 303 12.13 CRC Press (Boca Raton, FL) 306 12.14 SPE (Society of Plastics Engineers) (Brookfield, CT) 307 12.15 Springer-Verlag (Berlin and New York) 307 12.16 Technomic Publishing Company 308 12.17 VCH (Weinheim, Germany and New York, NY) 308 12.18 Consultants Bureau Journals (Plenum Publishing) 309 12.19 Selecting Journals; Lists of Journals in Chemistry 309

Patent Documents (with a Brief Section on Trademarks) 314

13.1 Introduction 314 13.2 Types of Patent Documents 314 13.3 Why Patents Are Important in Industry, Universities,

and Government 314 13.4 Patent Structure 316 13.5 The Role of Patents in Idea Generation and Creativity 317 13.6 Patents as Information Tools 317 13.7 Patents Compared to Other Information Sources 318 13.8 Official Government Sources of Patent Document Information 320 13.9 Some Recent Changes Affecting U.S. Patents 321 13.10 Obtaining Information about United States Patents: The Basics 322 13.11 Computerized Search Tools Available through the U.S. Patent

and Trademark Office and Some Other Aspects of Patent Office Operations 326

13.12 Patent and Trademark Depository Libraries (PTDLs) 327 13.13 Other Remarks about the U. S. Patent and Trademark Office 328 13.14 Derwent Information Limited 329 13.15 Coverage of Patents by Chemical Abstracts Service 341 13.16 IFI/Plenum Data Corporation Patent Services 342 13.17 Full-Text Patent Databases and Some Internet Sources 346 13.18 Online Databases that Input Markush Structures in Patents

and Facilitate Searching of These Structures 350 13.19 Research Disclosure 350 13.20 Patent Equivalents and Families 351 13.21 File Wrappers 353 13.22 Patent Citations 354 13.23 International Treaties and Other Developments 356 13.24 Statistical Analysis of Patent Search Results 357 13.25 Other Sources of Patent Information 358 13.26 Other Remarks on Patents 359 13.27 Trademarks 363

Environment, Safety, and Related Topics 367

14.1 Introduction 367

CONTENTS xi

14.2 Locating Pertinent Safety Data: Initial Approaches 368 A. Material Safety Data Sheets 368 B. Some Other Initial Sources 372

14.3 Books and Related Information Sources 374 14.4 Selected Electronic Resources: Chemical Information

System (CIS) 376 14.5 Some Other Electronic Sources 379 14.6 Government Laws, Regulations, and Standards 384 14.7 Professional Societies and Other Associations 390 14.8 Chemical Abstracts and Other Abstracting

and Indexing Services 393 14.9 Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationships (QSARs) 395 14.10 Toxicity to Aquatic Organisms; Water Resources 396 14.11 Biodegradability 397 14.12 Water-Quality Data 397 14.13 Examples of Key Journals 398 14.14 Newsletters 399 14.15 Other Topics 399

15 Locating and Using Physical Property and Related Data 403

15.1 Introduction 403 15.2 Categories of Data 403 15.3 Recording Property Data 404 15.4 NIST Standard Reference Data Program 404

A. Program Structure 405 B. Data Activities 408

15.5 Thermodynamics Research Center 409 15.6 Design Institute for Physical Property Data (DIPPR) 410 15.7 AMPTIAC and CINDAS 412 15.8 Committee on Data for Science and Technology 413 15.9 Journal of Chemical and Engineering Data and Other Journals 414 15.10 Landolt-Börnstein 415 15.11 Handbooks 416 15.12 Examples of Other Reference Sources 418 15.13 Manufacturer Trade Literature 420 15.14 Data Quality and Evaluation 423 15.15 Sources for Predicting or Estimating Chemical Properties 425 15.16 Properties of Plastics, Metals, and Other Materials 427 15.17 Improving Access to, and Standardization of, Physical

Properties Data 432 15.18 Selected Sources of Chemical Data in Electronic Form 433

A. Selected Online Sources of Physical Properties 433

CONTENTS

В. Selected Diskette and CD-ROM Sources of Physical Properties 437

15.19 Trends 438

Chemical Marketing and Business Information Sources 441

16.1 Introduction 441 16.2 Information about Manufacturers 441 16.3 Buyer's Guides and Related Tools—United States

and Other Countries 443 A. Japan, India, and China: Market and Related Information 447 B. Mexico 448 C. Thomas Register of American Manufacturers 448

16.4 Other Sources for Locating Chemicals 449 16.5 Chemical Pricing; Imports and Exports 450 16.6 General Chemical Business Information 452 16.7 Chemical Economics Handbook 453 16.8 Multiclient Studies 454 16.9 Product Data 456 16.10 Chemical Intelligence Services 456 16.11 Chemical Industry Trade and Related Associations 457 16.12 Some Other Sources of Marketing Information 458

Process Information 460

17.1 Introduction 460 17.2 Specialized Services 461 17.3 Other Sources of Process Information 463

Analytical Chemistry: A Brief Review of Some of the Literature Sources 464

18.1 Introduction 464 18.2 Mass-Spectral Data 465 18.3 Data from Sadtler Division of Bio-Rad Laboratories 466 18.4 Data from Aldrich Chemical Company 467 18.5 Data from NIST 467 18.6 Hummel 467 18.7 American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) 468 18.8 Analytical Methods for Occupational Health, Environmental,

and Safety Applications 468 18.9 Analytical Chemistry 469 18.10 Abstracting and Indexing Services 469 18.11 Analytical Chemistry on the Internet 470 18.12 Examples of Other Sources of Analytical Data 471

CONTENTS xiii

Appendix A Herman Skolnik Award 473

Appendix В The Austin M. Patterson-E. J. Crane Award 477

Appendix С Tabulation of Selected Representative Online Databases That Are of Interest to Chemists and Chemical Engineers 480

Appendix D CAS Online Databases Available from Major Hosts (Vendors) Used in the United States 487

Index 489