Chemistry

Finding Journal Articles Using Databases

The best way to search for peer-reviewed journal articles is to use a literature database. Databases index the research articles in journals and have powerful search filtering tools. Most databases also have quality standards that journals need to meet to be included, which limits your chances of encountering predatory publications.

Here are some of the most useful chemistry databases to get started using:

Web of Science

New to using databases? I recommend starting here for undergraduate students
Web of Science is a general science database with good coverage of the major chemistry journals. It is an excellent choice for finding how your research intersects with other scientific disciplines. This database can also help you study how an idea has evolved over time using the citation network feature. Because of its user-friendly and visual interface, Web of Science is one of the easiest database to start using if you're new to searching.

SciFinderⁿ 

If you need: a definitive chemistry database, ability to search by structure
SciFinder is the online database of the Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS). It searches chemistry journals as well as patents. SciFinder allows searching by research topic, chemical structure, and chemical reaction scheme. In order to use SciFinder, you must register for an account using your Gatorlink email address.

Reaxys 

If you need: synthesis schemes, ability to search by structure, ability to search by property
Reaxys is a chemistry database that allows for searching by structure, chemical property, or citation information. There are also a number of video tutorials hosted by Reaxys to get you started on using the database.

Scopus 

If you need: broad scope, ability to look at author networks
Scopus is a wide-coverage database, making it a great choice for researching interdisciplinary topics. This database also includes author and citation networks, allowing you to look at data about particular authors' publications, awarded grants, and collaborations.

MEDLINE (PubMed)

If you need: anything medical and health related 
PubMed is the definitive database to use for health science and medical information. Maintained by the National Library of Medicine, this database is publicly free to use. PubMed has a variety of unique filtering capabilities not available in other databases (such as Clinical Trials, Phase I; Human vs. Animal studies, and more).

PubChem

If you need: quick properties and safety information for particular compounds
PubChem is a free access database of chemical information searchable by name, molecular formula, structure, and other identifiers. This database is maintained by the National Center for Biotechnology Information underneath the National Institutes of Health.

Other chemistry-related databases

CHEMnetBASE : A collection of major chemistry reference works and property data, which can be searched by chemical name, formula, CAS registry, and other chemical structure designators. Includes reference works such as the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, Combined Chemical Dictionary, Polymers: A Property Database, and Properties of Organic Compounds.

Protein Data Bank (PDB): The PBD is a freely accessible database of 3D protein structures, containing data submitted by biochemists and biologists worldwide. Free software, including UnityMol and VMD, can be used to visualize protein structures. 

BRENDA: The Comprehensive Enzyme Information System (called BRENDA) is a free to access, comprehensive repository of enzyme data. It is particularly useful for gathering enzyme kinetic data. 

Need something else? Take me to the list of science databases, or the UF-wide list of databases A-Z

Finding Preprints

Preprints are early versions of research articles which have not yet been peer-reviewed. Scientists may choose to disseminate their research as preprints before submitting to an academic journal, which can make the research reported very cutting edge, but these reports should be read critically as they have not yet been reviewed by other experts.

You can use the Web of Science Preprint Index to search several different preprint repositories at once.

You can also browse individual preprint repositories related to your research:

• ChemRxiv ("chem archive"): Chemistry and chemical sciences.
• engrXiv ("engineering archive"): Engineering. 
• bioRxiv ("bio archive"): Biological sciences, including biochemistry and molecular biology.
• medRxiv ("med archive"): Health sciences.

Connecting from off campus? You will need UF authentication to access many of the electronic resources in this guide, including databases, journal articles, and e-books. Learn how to connect from off campus.