Chemistry

Chemistry

Chemistry is a vast subject area which encompasses many sub-areas and also integrates into many other fields. It is most generally defined as the study of the composition, structure, and properties of substances and the transformations that they undergo.  Below you will find resources to get you started doing research in inorganic, organic, analytical, physical, and biological chemistry.

See also related guides Physics | Biology | Environmental Science

Encyclopedias and Other Reference Works

Provide excellent background/overview information. An excellent place to begin research. Contain articles written by experts for a general audience. Provide indexes indicating scope of coverage of a topic and pinpointing articles in which a concept will be discussed. Provide bibliographies for further reading.

	QD65 .H3 (Latest in Reference) CRC handbook of chemistry and physics.  Cleveland, Ohio : CRC Press, c1977-  This is published annually.  Older editions can be found in the stacks.
	RS51 .M4 (Reference) The Merck index.  Rahway, N.J. : Merck & Co.,  Please ask at the Reference Desk to see the current edition.
	RS51 .M42 The Merck index on CD-ROM London, UK : Chapman & Hall EPD, 1996.
	TP9 .E685 1991 (Reference)  Encyclopedia of chemical technology, 4th edition Executive editor, Jacqueline I. Kroschwitz ; editor, Mary Howe-Grant. New York : Wiley, c1991-<c1998 >  25 volumes plus indexes and supplements.
	QD95 .E55 2000 (Reference) Encyclopedia of spectroscopy and spectrometry / editor-in-chief, John C. Lindon ; editors, George E. Tranter, John L. Holmes. San Diego, CA : Academic Press, c2000. 3 volumes
	QD95 .E55 2000 ONLINE Encyclopedia of spectroscopy and spectrometry / editor-in-chief, John C. Lindon ; editors, George E. Tranter, John L. Holmes. San Diego, CA : Academic Press, c2000. http://dx.doi.org/10.1006/rwsp.2000.  "Access for a limited period to an on-line version ... is included in the purchase price of the print"
	QC762 .S3  (Reference) Nuclear magnetic resonance spectra / Sadtler Research Laboratories, Inc., Philadelphia, PA. : The Laboratories, PSU has:  v.1-106 1966-93
	QC457 .C686  (Reference) Evaluated infrared reference spectra.  Coblentz Society.  Philadelphia, Pa. : Coblentz Society ; distributed by Sadtler Research Laboratories,  PSU has:  v.1- c1959-
	QD257.7 .W67 2001 (Reference) Handbook of organic compounds: NIR, IR, Raman, and UV-Vis spectra featuring polymers and surfactants / Jerry Workman, Jr., San Diego, Calif. : Academic Press, c2001.  3 volumes
	TP202 Chemical supplier catalogs (Aldrich, Fluka, Sigma, TCI)

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Databases and Indexes

Magazine, periodical and journal articles provide information on current developments, research trends, experiments and hot topics in a discipline. For every discipline, there are specific databases or indexes that provide article level information. Once articles are identified through the database or index search, look up the source journal in Vikat, PSU Library's online catalog, to locate them in the library. For a complete list of online databases and indexes, see the Library's Online Databases pages.

SciFinder Scholar - 1906- . Online equivalent of Chemical Abstracts. Inquire at Reference Desk to log in.

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Online Full Text Journals

Many, but by no means all, of the journals of interest in Chemistry are available online. Most of the journals require authentication for off campus use.

Chemistry Journals Online

Call Numbers

Browsing the library shelves by call number ranges is another strategy for locating information on a topic; call numbers can help you get to the "right neighborhood" in the library stacks.

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Organizations

Often the best way to find information on a topic is to look for material published by a professional society or an organization.

	American Chemical Society, http://www.acs.org
	Royal Society of Chemistry, http://www.rsc.org

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Web Resources

	Integrated Spectral Data Base System for Organic Compounds  http://www.aist.go.jp/RIODB/SDBS/menu-e.html
	NIST Chemistry WebBook http://webbook.nist.gov/chemistry/
	NIST Standard Reference Data Products http://www.nist.gov/srd/
	ChemWeb (requires registration but membership is free) http://www.chemweb.com/

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