SciFinder

From WolfWikis

NCSU faculty, staff, and students can access the web version or download the client software from the Libraries' web site.

Accessing the database

SciFinder can be accessed via the web version (newly available at the Libraries Fall 2008), or via client software downloaded from the Libraries’ website. Most campus licenses will be allocated towards the web version of SciFinder as of January 5, 2009. Please preferentially use this version after this date.

Web access notes:

• Registration with CAS is required for all users before accessing the database.
• Access SciFinder via the link on the Libraries' website.
• As of Fall 2008, the Libraries only support a limited number of web-based seats. This means that you may have access issues (the "your allocated system resources are unavailable" error) more often than usual. Please give us feedback if you want to use the web version more and encounter this problem frequently. We will be continually re-evaluating how to balance our available SciFinder licenses between the web and client versions.
• On January 5, 2009, most NCSU licenses will be switched to the web version.

Client access notes:

• Access to the database is restricted to NC State University IP addresses (i.e., it must be used on campus, except through the VCL).
• You may download the client software to your personal computer, but you must access the database from the NCSU campus network.
• SciFinder Scholar is also available on PCs in the Libraries. Ask at the reference desk or contact the chemistry librarians for assistance.
• On January 5, 2009, most NCSU licenses will be switched to the web version, meaning that client software users will experience more frequent access problems (the "too many concurrent users" error). Please preferentially use the web version on or before this date. The client version will still be available (only one license, so only one simultaneous user) for advanced searching.

Feedback on this switch? Please contact the chemistry librarians.

Web instructions

Getting started

After registering and accessing the SciFinder site, you are connected to Chemical Abstracts Service databases. You will see three options:

1. Explore References – Search for literature by topic
2. Explore Substances – Get information on a specific chemical
3. Explore Reactions – Search for reaction information

Literature searching

Analyze and Refine options.

Click Explore References,

• Research Topic for keywords (or change to Author, etc., if appropriate)
• Enter search terms
  • SciFinder will strip out all stop words (terms that are not research concepts, e.g. and, not, the, or, is; you can include them anyway and enter your search in plain English)
  • No phrases, quotes, parentheses, or wildcards

To improve results:

• Use Filters prior to search
  • Particular document types, years, or other limitations
• Use Analysis/Refine buttons following search (see figure at right)
  • Analyzing can help you find important authors or journals
  • Refining will help cut down to more relevant results

Click on title for abstract and details. Note options to get related substances and reactions, citing references, full text, and stable link.

Substance searching

The structure editor in SciFinder. When using the Explore Reactions option, you will also see reaction arrow tools.

When Exploring Substances,

• Draw or import structure
  • Find exact structures, substructures, or similarity search
  • Check filters for more precise searching
  • More information on structure searching here

Or,

• Search by molecular formula or other identifier
  • CAS number is most concise and uniquely identifies a substance
  • Common names often work, but may not be precise

To examine results:

• Click results for details (click CAS number), including property data
• "Paper" icon links you to references (checks to see if NCSU has a subscription)
• Link to commercial sources or reactions
  • Select Product as the reaction role to get synthesis references

Reaction searching

When Exploring Reactions,

• Mostly the same options as with substances, but note the reaction arrow tool
  • Place reaction arrow to specify role
  • e.g., point to the structure to set it as a product

Saving search results

Create a Keep Me Posted profile

There are a few ways you can save your work in SciFinder. The web version makes this a lot easier than the client did, so make sure you know your options...

• Create Keep Me Posted Profile
  • When viewing search results, click Keep Me Posted button
  • Enter a title and optional description.
  • You will receive weekly e-mail notification of new matching results (to the e-mail address you registered with, which is required to be an NCSU.EDU address)
• Save Answer Sets
  • When viewing search results, click Save link. Enter a title and optional description. Results will be saved on server for future viewing by clicking Answer Sets.
  • You can re-open these sets when you return to SciFinder later on.
• Export to RefWorks
  • When viewing search results, click Export link. Save in Tagged format for import to RefWorks (or EndNote, ProCite, etc.)
  • See the citation management software guide for more help, or ask the chemistry librarians
• Save structures (within structure editor) (more help)

A SciFinder Scholar quick help handout (PDF format) is available.

Client instructions

See SciFinder Scholar client instructions.

Errors and troubleshooting

See the SciFinder errors page.

More help

More help, tutorials, and demos are available from CAS' site. They feature specific strategy sections on small-molecule searching, synthetic chemistry, and polymer chemistry.

Please ask the chemistry librarians if you need more help.