Literature Searching
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Chemical Abstracts
Bibliographic databases (indexes) are key to searching the primary literature, but they are not ideally designed for locating data buried within original documents, especially if the document mentions the data in passing rather than as the main topic. It is not always easy to determine from a title and abstract if a paper contains numerical data at all. If it does, the actual data are generally not given in the abstract -- the original document must be consulted. Now that the CAPLUS file extends back to 1907 and even before, it is a more powerful tool for identifying older journal articles that may contain fundamental property data.
The SciFinder version of the Chemical Abstracts database (CAPLUS) can be searched fairly effectively for documents that may contain physical property information. Use Registry numbers as search terms instead of chemical names in the Research Topic search option. (Example: "enthalpy of 567-78-8".) From the results table, choose references with the concepts "closely associated with one another" to reduce false drops. Alternately, you can use the Property Role tool from a chemical substance search:
Doing It Right vs. Doing It Fast, or, What about Google?Let's face it, if you're on this page you've probably already "googled" your search query and not found what you're looking for. Web search engines are not ideal tools for finding scientific data, but they can occasionally act as a useful shortcut when used creatively. On the other hand, they can be a waste of time: you could spend an hour sifting through Google results hunting for something that you could find in 30 seconds using the CRC Handbook.Search engines like Google, Google Scholar, Scirus, and Google Books allow you to search within full text of myriad types of scientific literature and web repositories, but this is never comprehensive. Use several of them, taking note of the different kinds of content they index and the different kinds of hits they retrieve. Your success will depend on your selection of keywords and synonyms and the phrasing of your query (use the "advanced search" option where possible), as well as a good measure of sheer luck. You must remember to carefully examine the source of the data. Always look at the original document, not the search engine's summary. Context matters, and you'll soon realize that most of your hits aren't relevant because, while your keywords do appear in a document, they're not in close relation to each other. And while searching is free, your ability to see the original journal articles will usually require an institutional subscription to that journal.
Google Scholar (searches full text of undefined swaths of scientific literature) To do a "real" literature search in this area, you have to use SciFinder and/or Reaxys. |
