American Chemical Society
Teaching Chemical Information:
Tips and Techniques
— March 1996 —
University of Scranton: Chemistry 388: Introduction to Research in Chemistry
Syllabus — 1995
- Lecture 1: Intro to Chemical Research (Woolsey)
- Definitions and Concepts of Research
Research in Chemistry
Ethics
Policies Affecting Research
Where is Research Conducted
Costs Associated with Research
How is Researched Financed
R & D Budgets - Lecture 2: Chemistry as a Profession (Woolsey)
- What do Chemists do
Employment Opportunities
Salaries for Chemists
Who does Chemical Research
How to Learn to do Research
How to Get Research Experience
Qualifications for Research
In What Fields to do Research
How to Find out about Research Underway - Lecture 3: The Chemical Literature (Woolsey)
- Dissemination of Research Results
Introduction to the Chemical Literature
The Primary Literature — Journal Characteristics
The Secondary Literature
Tertiary Sources — Textbooks
Indexes - Lecture 4: The Chemical Library (Woolsey)
- Introduction
Organization/Cataloging
Photocopying/Copyrights
Journal Citation
Library Search System — ODIN
Tour of Library
Demonstration of ODIN
Assignment No. 1: Location of materials in Library - Lecture 5: Chemical Abstracts (Woolsey)
- Introduction
The Abstracts
Chemical Titles
CASSI
The Registry Handbook - Lecture 6: Chemical Abstracts Indexes (Woolsey)
- Collective Indexes
Index Guide
General Subject Index
Chemical Substances Index
Author Index
Ring Index
Formula Index
Patent Index
Search Routines
Assignment No. 2: Location of information in Chemical Abstracts - Lecture 7: Literature Searches (Woolsey)
- Uses of the Chemical Literature
How to do a Literature Search
Science Citation Index
Browsing
CHEMINTOSH/CHEMWINDOW
Assignment No. 3: Hands-on CHEMINTOSH/CHEMWINDOW drawings - Lecture 8: Organic & Inorganic Literature (Woolsey and Abrahamson)
- Specific sources for each field
Assignment No. 4: Write an Abstract of a journal article - Lecture 9: Physical & Analytical Literature (Thomasson and Pierce)
- Specific sources for each field
- Lecture 10: Preparing & Giving a Seminar (Woolsey)
- Searching and Reading
Organizing Information
The Written Abstract
The Oral Presentation
Assignment No. 5: Prepare Seminar - Lecture 11: Databases and Searches (Pierce)
- Lecture 12: Structure-Based Searches (Woolsey)
- Introduction — using Registry File and CA File
Search Types
Complete Name
Exact Structure
Molecular Formula
Partial Name
Partial Structure
Examples using real, live searches using computer and view-screen
Assignment No. 6: On-line searches using STN Mentor/Overview - Lecture 13: Laboratory Safety; Chemical Wastes (Abrahamson)
- Lecture 14 & 15: (All course faculty)
- Meet to hear 10-minute seminars from each student. Entire faculty present for grading of the presentations.
List of Assignments — 1995
- Lecture 4
- Assignment No. 1: Location of journals, books and articles using the ODIN system and the library
- Lecture 6
- Assignment No. 2: Location of items using the CA printed version
- Lecture 7
- Assignment No. 3: Drawing structures using either CHEMINTOSH or CHEMWINDOW
- Lecture 8
- Assignment No. 4: Preparation of an Abstract for CA
- Lecture 10
- Assignment No. 5: Final term project assignment for each student with due date of April 17:
- For the project present a ten-minutes oral report to the class during one of the last two class periods.
- Prepare for the class a single page handout which is an abstract of your findings. The abstract must include chemical structures drawn with CHEMINTOSH or CHEMWINDOW and the abstract must be typewritten in abstract format. (The abstract is due on April 17 prior to the seminar presentation).
- Lecture 12
- Assignment No. 6: Simulated on-line search using STN