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About SciFinder Scholar

What is the SciFinder Scholar database?

New feature in SciFinder Scholar 2007

New features in SciFinder Scholar 2006

New features in SciFinder Scholar 2004

Search Tips.

Need to install SciFinder Scholar on your computer? See the sfsinfo page.

Problems installing or connecting to SciFinder Scholar? 

       Contact Bob Buchanan, Physical Sciences Librarian, 844-1292, buchara@auburn.edu.

 

Search Tips

CAS Learning Center's SciFinder Scholar Resources
Improve your search skills at SciFinder Scholar Solutions

 

What is SciFinder Scholar?

It is ... an online version of Chemical Abstracts.
  the major resouce to find chemical references and information.
  a references and abstracts database (CAPLUS)
  a structure database (REGISTRY)
  a reaction database (CASREACT)

It is six chemistry-related databases rolled into one search engine.

  1. References & Abstracts  (CAPLUS)  Online version of Chemical Abstracts which indexes and abstracts journal articles, book chapters, conference proceedings, and patents  (1907 to present) 
  2. Structures  (REGISTRY)  Search by chemical structure, chemical name, and CAS Registry Number (1966 to present) 
  3. Reactions  (CASREACT)  Reaction searching  "1907" to present 
  4. MEDLINE  National Library of Medicine database  (1958 to present)
  5. Commercial availablity  (CHEMCATS)  Commercial sources: 600 suppliers & 700 catalogs
  6. Regulatory Information  (CHEMLIST)  Regulated chemical listings for the U.S. and other countries

 

Reaction searching "1907" to present

For reaction searching, SciFinder Scholar searches the CASREACT database which is consists of three reaction databases whose coverage is summarized in the table below. Please note that of over 7 million reactions, only about 350,000 reactions pre-date 1985. To do a more complete reaction search, it is recommended that you also search Beilstein or Gmelin.

SciFinder Scholar Reaction Database Coverage

Chemical Abstracts
~7 million reactions
Journals
1985 to present
Patents
1991 to present
VINITI / ZIC
~300,000 reactions
Journals
1974 to 1991
Patents
1982 to 1991
INPI
~ 50,000 reactions
selected reactions
1907 to 1985


VINITI = All-Union Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of the Academy of Science of the former USSR
ZIC = Zentrale Informationsverarbeitung Chemie
INPI = Institut National de la Propriete Industrielle

New Features in SciFinder Scholar 2007

1.  Combine answers sets

This is a big improvement that allows you generate more complete searches. Often small changes in a SciFinder Scholar search produces slightly different results. With the combine feature, you can combine the results of such searches to produce a more complete search.

The combine feature allows you to combine a previously saved answer set with a currently active answer set. Both answer sets must be of the same type: reference, substance, or reaction.

  1. Run a search and select the results you want to save.
  2. Save the results.
  3. Run another search and select the results you want to combine with a saved search.
  4. Click on the Combine icon.
  5. Browse to find your previously saved search. Click Open.
  6. The combine options are shown. You can do Boolean OR, AND, or NOT operations. The "estimate" icon gives you an approximate idea of the results.

2.  Save answer sets for combined searches later

Saving searches is nothing new, but the ability to use a saved search as a starting point for a new search (i.e., planning to combine the saved search with a new search) is a powerful option to create a more complete and up-to-date set of results.

3.  Categorize results

From a keyword search, click on the Analyze/Refine button. In addition to analyze and refine, there is now a "categorize" option. Categorize allows you to sort and evaluate the results of a search.

4.  Print structures in a grid layout

Print substances in a grid of 1 to 4 columns. This can consolidate the results of your search in a more compact way.

5.  Explore from substance displays

From a substances search result page, click on a substance to launch a Chemical Stucture substance search based on that substance.

6.  Export commercial chemicals records into Microsoft Excel

Create reports listing commercial sources, including contact information and pricing, for substances of interest. Catalog information is exported into Excel for sorting, manipulation, and reference.

 

New Features in SciFinder Scholar 2006

1.  New structure and reaction search tools

Repeating Group (i.e. simultaneously search 5 and 6 membered rings)

Variable Attachment makes it easier to search for variable attachments.

2.  Structure Similarity Searching

Similarity searching is complementary to the other structure searches because it returns many answers that are neither exact nor substructure answers. Uses the Tanimoto algorithm to compare all substances in the database with your query structure, and then determines which are the most similar.

3.  Easier to interpret Reaction Searches

Highlights the structure which is responsible for the reaction's retrieval.

4.  Easier to look up reference

Search for a specific reference based on journal title, author, title words, etc.

5.  Better access to additional reaction information

Reaction answers can more easily allow you to access retro-synthetic information, commercial availability, regulatory information, and references for each compound.

6.  Duplicate detection & removal

Remove duplicate references from CAplus and Medline reference answer set. However, de-dupping works imperfectly. If you do not want any references from Medline, it is better to uncheck the box for the Medline database in your Preferences.

 

New Features in SciFinder Scholar 2004

Substance searches
Substructure searches
Reaction searches

Substructure searches

Pre-search

Example
 Additional Options

  Limit to:

       Alloys
       Coordination Compounds
       Incompletely Defined Substances
       Mixtures
       Polymers
       Organics & Others Not Listed
Post-search

Example

Refine by:

       Chemical Structure
       Commercial Availability
       Isotope Containing*
       Metal Containing*
       Property Availablity*
       Property Data
       Reference Availability*

       *New Refine tool


Reaction Searches

Pre-search
 Additional Options

  Limit to:

       Number of Steps
       Reaction Classification
       Patents
       Publication Year
       Language
Post-search

Example

Analyze by:

       Catalyst
       Solvent
       Number of Steps in Reaction
       Product Yield

       Author
       Company / Organization
       Journal Name
       Language
       Publication Year


Substance Searches

Post-search

Example

Get Reactions with the following roles:

       Product
       Reactant
       Reagent
       Reactant or Reagent
       Catalyst
       Solvent
       Any Role


Questions or comments? Contact:
Bob Buchanan  buchara@auburn.edu
Updated May 1, 2007