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The Peterson Library has a wide array of resources to support research in chemistry, including organic and inorganic chemistry, analytical chemistry, biochemistry, chemical technology, materials sciences, polymers, and related areas. These resources include print materials as well as electronic periodicals, periodical indexes, and research databases.
This guide presents a selection of useful resources, both ours and the Internet sources we list. Use our catalog to find more resources, and search the Internet -- carefully and critically -- for additional websites. Beyond our resources, students can also use those of the Chemistry Department's library in Buckman Hall. Other library guides, such as Biology, Engineering, Environmental Sciences, and Occupational Safety and Health may also be useful. For a good overview of library research and resources, take the Virtual Reference Tour. You can also come to the Information Desk for assistance with your research, call us at (203) 932-7189 or e-mail us.
Note: This online guide contains direct links to databases and websites. To locate any of the sites listed if you have printed out this guide, simply type in the name of the site in Google or another search engine to get to the site you want.
Go to the Peterson Library home page and take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with it. If you start at the UNH website, click on Library in the top middle. All the links for accessing library materials and services are on the left. The most important are the ones for the catalog, databases, journals, and library guides, but a quick look at all will be time well spent.
Use the library catalog to find circulating and reference materials, including books, audio-visual holdings, government documents, and periodical titles (for periodical articles, see the "Journals" section, below). Our catalog uses the Library of Congress (LC) classification system and subject headings. LC assigns call numbers (letters and numerals) beginning with QD for chemistry and TP for chemical technology. Assigned call number ranges make designated areas more specific: QD71-142 is analytical chemistry; QD146-197 is inorganic; QD241-441 is organic, etc. Since chemistry has applications in so many fields (such as health, medicine, and forensic science, to name a few), materials relevant to your research may well be found in many additional areas of the collection.
Quick search tips:
- Truncate with "?": chemi? will bring up chemical, chemicals, chemistry, etc.
- Put phrases in " ": "environmental chemistry."
- Sort results by "Publish date descending" to get newest items at the top of the list.
- Click on the "Bibliographic" tab to determine the LC subject headings for an item
and then click on those headings as links to additional material with the same
subject.
- Always click on the "Linked Resources" tab to check for electronic access for single
items. In multiple-result searches, the URL box at the right of the screen is a
reminder to look for a web link on the next page (or click on "Linked Resources").
For additional search tips, consult the library guide on Using the UNH Library Catalog (OPAC) or take our Library Catalog Tutorial.
UNH students, faculty and staff can use our Interlibrary Loan (ILL) service for materials we do not own. ILL request forms for books and articles are available at the library Information Desk, and online from the library's website. You should complete a separate ILL request form for each item requested. Bibliographic citations should be as accurate and complete as possible. Incorrect or incomplete information, such as abbreviations or lack of a publication date, will slow down receipt of material. For more information on Interlibrary Loan, click here.
Selected Reference and Circulating Materials
Reference materials, such as encyclopedias, dictionaries and statistical compilations are a good place to start research. They are kept in the library's entry level stacks and can be used in the library. Circulating materials are shelved in stacks on the second and third levels of the library and may be borrowed. The following is a sample of the books available. "Ref." before the call number means that the book is kept in the Reference area.
♦ Research Manuals and Style Guides
♦ General Chemistry Resources
♦ Organic Chemistry
♦ Inorganic Chemistry
♦ Biochemistry
♦ Engineering, Technology, and Materials Science
♦ Analytical Chemistry
♦ Environmental Chemistry
♦ Hazardous Materials
♦ Medicine and Pharmacology
The Marvin K. Peterson Library has been a Federal Depository Library since 1971. Government documents have been listed in our online catalog since 2000, and many publications are available online from the catalog. Click on the "Linked Resources" tab at the top of the catalog record screen to get to the live link to the publication.
For documents received before 2000, use other online and print indexes. You may also consult our library guide on government documents, also available in print at the Information Desk. To use this collection, come to the Information Desk, where a staff member will assist you. We will retrieve documents for you, help you find documents not listed in our catalog, and direct you to other resources.
Here is a list of selected documents that may be of interest:
Adoption of Bioengineered Crops. A 1.107:810. Online via catalog or click here.
Analysis of Pathways of Residential Lead Exposure in Children: Final Report.
EP5.2:R 31/21 [Microfiche]
Catalog of EPA Materials on Underground Storage Tanks. EP 1.2:2002008188.
Online via catalog or click here.
Chemical Calibration: Providers of Proficiency Testing. C13.11:150-19 [Paper]
Chemical Handlers Manual. J 24.8:C 42/2002 [Paper]
Chemical Security Act of 2002. Y 1.1/5:107-342. Online via catalog or click here.
Chemical and Biological Defense: DOD Medical Readiness. Y 4.G 74/7:C 42/4.
Online via catalog or click here.
Environmental Cost Accounting for Chemical & Oil Companies. EP 5.2:C 82/3.
Online via catalog or click here.
Environmental Management Guide for Small Laboratories. EP 1.8:M 31/5.
Online via catalog or click here.
The Future of Food: Biotechnology and Consumer Confidence. Y4.L 11/4:S. HRG. 106-698 [Microfiche]
Glutaraldehyde: Occupational Hazards in Hospitals. HE20.7102:G 52 [Paper]
List of Lists: Consolidated List of Chemicals Subject to the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). EP5.2:L 69/2 [Microfiche]; current issue.
NIOSH-DOD-OSHA Sponsored Chemical and Biological Respiratory Protection Workshop Report. HE20.7102:W 89/10 [Paper]
Sources, Emission, and Exposure for Trichloroethylene (TCE) and Related Chemicals.
EP 1.23/6:600/R-00/099. Online via catalog or click here.
Journals and Other Periodicals
Periodical articles from magazines, newspapers, and scholarly journals are a valuable source of information in all research fields. The Journals link on the home page is a listing of most of the periodical titles, current and historical, to which you have access through the library, including print and microform materials, as well as periodicals available electronically. Enter your 16-digit UNH ID number when requested. Use the Journals link to find:
- Single journals or articles: If you have the citation to an article, type the title of the journal into the top search box. Results will show which databases contain the journal electronically and give you a list of available issues to search through. Available "UNH Library Holdings" are also given to enable you to find and/or copy the article in the library. Current and older issues of most of our print periodicals, now interfiled in a single alphabetical arrangement, are on the lower level. Ask for current newspapers and microform holdings at the Circulation Desk.
- Lists of journals by keyword or subject: Use the top search option, with the drop-down box set to "Title contains all words" and search with title keywords (e.g., chem*, chemical, chemistry, etc.) ["*"= truncation here]). You can also use the lower drop-down search box and select subjects like "Engineering & Applied Sciences" or "Physical Sciences & Mathematics" and the listed subcategories. These methods allow you to identify periodicals in a field and browse current issues of these periodicals, either online or in the library.
If you need a list of articles on a subject, please consult the next section.
The most efficient way to find articles by subject is to use an index that searches the contents of many journals at one time. Increasingly, electronic indexes offer the full text of the article as well as the citation and abstract. In addition, our Serials Solutions journal-linking service will frequently offer you "Find full text"-type links to other databases or tell you the availability of periodicals in the library. For more on searching for periodical articles, consult our library guide on Finding Articles or try our online interactive Database Searching Tutorial.
To access databases, enter your 16-digit UNH ID number when requested. Select databases by title or provider, or use the Subject List. Use the Annotated List of Databases on the library home page for search tips, publications included, user's guides, tutorials, and links for each database.
Listed below are the databases most likely to be of use in chemistry. Some government-produced ones have universal free access, which is indicated
♦ Print Indexes
Chemical Abstracts (1907-1987). QD1 .A51. Published by the American Chemical Society, this resource provides citations and abstracts for the world's chemistry literature, including books, journals, conference proceedings, dissertations, technical reports and patents. Separate indexes for general subjects, chemical substances, molecular formulas, ring systems, patents, and authors. Supplemented by Chemical Abstracts Service Source Index [CASSI] (1907-1979). QD1 .A52. CASSI is necessary to fully identify all the publications that are covered by Chemical Abstracts and by Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Handbook (1977-1979) QD1. A53. The Handbook lists substances by their unique, assigned numbers in the CAS Registry, used internationally to analyze and identify chemical substances.
Engineering Index Annual (1959-2002). Z5851 .E62. Indexes the world's engineering literature in journals and conference proceedings. Electronic access is available in the Compendex® database in Engineering Village.
Industrial Arts Index (1913-1957). Z913 .I7. Continued by Applied Science and Technology Index (1958+). Ref. Z7913 .I7
♦ Online Handbooks and Manuals
E-Books for Colleges/Gale Virtual Reference Library from Gale and iCONN. Access to multi-volume reference resources, including World of Earth Science and the following Gale encylopedias: Alternative Medicine; Medicine; Cancer; Genetic Disorders.
Encyclopedia of Dietary Supplements. This resource provides details on the vast market of over-the-counter supplements.
Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. Online access to illustrated articles from the latest edition of the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology.
ENGnetBASE is an extensive online library of handbooks and publications by CRC Press. Click on "All Publications" for a complete list or click on "Chemical Engineering" for technology and materials science.
Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. A CRC publication.
Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology. Provides full articles contained in the Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, which lets you search for information about the chemical industry and related fields.
Knovel gives you options for K-Essentials for access to several classic reference e-books on the topics of chemistry and engineering, including: Handbook of Mathematical Functions with Formulas; Graphs and Mathematical Tables; International Critical Tables; Knovel Critical Tables; and Smithsonian Physical Tables. You can also link to a collection of resources in all areas in the Chemistry & Chemical Engineering Library.
♦ Other Science Databases
BasicBIOSIS and BioDigest index journal literature in the life sciences. Access in library only, via FirstSearch.
BioMedCentral. Online journals in the sciences. Site requires free registration.
Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature: CINAHL. Authoritative resource for nursing and allied health professionals, students, educators and researchers. This database provides indexing for 2,737 journals from the nursing and allied health fields. The database contains more than 1,000,000 records dating back to 1982.
Engineering Village. A suite of engineering databases, including Compendex®, the most comprehensive interdisciplinary engineering database in the world. Compendex® contains over 8 million records and references over 5,000 international engineering sources including journal, conference, and trade publications.
GeoRef from EBSCOhost covers physical, earth and environmental chemistry in journals, books, conference papers, reports and more. Some linked full-text articles.
Highwire Press is a Stanford University site that indexes articles in more than 1100 journals, including many in chemistry and the sciences.
PubMed. The National Library of Medicine's PubMed database. Some full text, many more citations.
Science Reference Center from EBSCOhost is helpful for all science research projects. Included in this database are reference books, journals, biographies, and images. Topics covered: biology; chemistry; earth; space; the environment; health & medicine; physics; technology; wildlife.
Science.gov: FirstGov for Science. Gateway to government resources. You can search many government agency databases and publications by topic.
ScienceDirect Web Editions. An index to books, journals, reviews, conference proceedings and videos published by Elsevier.
SCIRUS is a search engine designed to retrieve scientific information.
Wiley Interscience indexes publications of John Wiley & Sons and includes 300 leading scientific, medical, and technical journals.
♦ Other Useful Databases
Criminal Justice Periodicals Index from ProQuest covers chemical topics as they relate to crime, forensics and public safety. Some full-text articles.
Directory of Open Access Journals. Freely available online journals, organized by subject. Hosted at Lund University, Sweden, a co-project of SPARC (Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition) and Open Access Institute, Budapest. Browse their journals in chemistry.
Emerald Full-Text Journals includes a substantial group in engineering, applied sciences, and technology.
FirstSearch contains the following databases, which index journal literature in the life sciences, engineering and technology: Agricola; Dissertations (aka Dissertation Abstracts International: DAI); ECO; and Proceedings. Access in library only, although you may also access Agricola directly from the NAL.
Historical Newspapers from ProQuest. Digital full page and image reproduction of all available dates and issues of the New York Times [1851-2002], Wall Street Journal [1889-1988], Washington Post [1877-1989], Los Angeles Times [1881-1985] and Christian Science Monitor [1908-1992]. More current coverage for these newspapers, plus The Boston Globe, is available in ProQuest Newspapers. Note that you cannot search historical newspapers with other databases and the Hartford Courant - Historical, must be selected individually or added to searches by clicking on "Select multiple databases," and checking the box next to it.
INFOMINE. A University of California site organizing by topic freely available scholarly Internet databases and web sites. Search for information on the Physical Sciences and Engineering.
General OneFile from iCONN. Multidisciplinary mega-database that largely includes the contents of other databases like Expanded Academic ASAP and General Reference Center Gold. Over 10,000 titles indexed, over 6,000 full-text.
IRIS [Illinois Researcher Information Service] lists funding sources and internship opportunities in all fields, including the sciences. E-mail alert service available.
LexisNexis Academic contains U.S. and international legal materials and also offers full-text coverage of journals, magazines and newspapers across the country and around the world. U.S. patent coverage from 1971 to present. Includes abstracts from the National Library of Medicine's Medline database.
The Internet provides much valuable information. As with any material you use, evaluate the sources you use. This can be challenging with the Internet, since it is not always readily apparent who is responsible for the information on a particular page found via a Google or Yahoo! search. Look for a home page and an "About us" link. Consider how qualified the organization or person is to provide the information, whether they have an agenda or particular point of view, how up-to-date the information is, and how it affects the point you want to make. The following is a selection of useful web sites.
Listed below are some recommended chemistry web sites and portals:
American Chemical Society (ACS). Offers free access to some ACS print publications, as well as chemistry news, job listings, lesson plans and more.
Best Chemistry Web Sites. This is a list of education and government sites compiled by the Chemistry Division of the Special Libraries Association.
Centers for Disease Control. Click on "Workplace Safety & Health" and "Environmental Health" for links to resources on chemical hazards, especially publications by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).
Chemdex is based at the Department of Chemistry, University of Sheffield, England.
Chemical Information Sources Discussion List
Chemical Science & Technology Laboratory, part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, issues standards, tools, and data for the proper use of chemicals in all fields.
ChemIndustry.com lists chemical products, experts, services, and software.
http://www.chem.ox.ac.uk/cheminfo/internet.html their Chemistry Department's collection of chemistry links -- one of the most comprehensive on the Internet.
Chemistry Functions! helps you solve chemistry-related problems like molar conversions. Features an equation balancer and interactive periodic table.
Chemistry Index, from the Free University of Berlin.
ChemWeb. Register for free to use Beilstein Abstracts of top journals in chemistry.
Classic Chemistry is a Lemoyne College web site that focuses on the history of chemistry and reproduces texts of importance from ancient to modern times.
Clearing House for Chemical Information Instructional Materials (CCIIM)
DOE Information Bridge, from the U.S. Dept. of Energy.
E-print Network For electronic scientific and technical documents.
Environmental Protection Administration. Chemical hazard, toxicity, and emergency preparedness info; many programs and databases including the Human Exposure Database System, Substance Registry System, Toxics Release Inventory Program, etc. Look for the "Browse EPA Topics" link on the left.
http://www.espacenet.com/. Free Internet service from the European Patent Organisation, accessing over 45,000,000 patent documents, either through the EPO or through the patent offices of member nations.
GreyLit Network: A Science Portal of Technical Reports
Intellectual Property and Licensing
Intellectual Property (IP) Mall
Librarians' Internet Index - Chemistry
Links for Chemists is the chemistry section of the WWW Virtual Library and is maintained by the University of Liverpool.
National Library of Medicine. Includes many useful links, including MEDLINEPlus, PubMed, and ClinicalTrials.gov for information on new drug trials. The "Environmental Health and Toxicology" link brings you to TOXNET, a "cluster of databases on toxicology, hazardous chemicals and related areas," and other resources.
Patent and Trademark Office. Click on "Search" buttons on left. Full-page patent images go back to 1790 and full-text searching back to 1976. Searchable by patent title, patent number, inventor, assignee, and other criteria. Options also for expired patents, the Manual of Patent Classification, etc.
Rolf Claessen's Chemistry Index
Royal Society of Chemistry of England is one of the oldest and most respected chemical science organizations. Use the Chemsoc link for news, jobs and networking.
SDBS. Integrated spectral data base system for organic compounds.
Selected Internet Resources for Chemistry (SIRCh). From Indiana University.
Teaching Chemical Information. Tips and techniques.
Theoretical Chemistry is a self-guided introduction for students from a University of Utah professor, supported in part by the National Science Foundation.
ThermoDex. An index of selected thermodynamic and physical property resources.
In addition to consulting with the faculty of UNH's Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and Career Development Office, you might want to consult the following sites:
ACS Careers. The career site of the American Chemical Society.
The Occupational Outlook Handbook outlines working opportunities for Chemists and Material Scientists and those in related occupations.
Writing The Paper and Citing Your Research
The Library produces guides to several citation styles, and our general style guide includes links to additional online guides. These guides are available near the Information Desk and online from our home page. The Center for Learning Resources in Maxcy Hall room 108 assists students writing papers.
Any questions? Come to the Information Desk, call us at (203) 932-7189 or e-mail us.
rev. 2/08