Chemistry

Roots in alchemy 

1 : a medieval chemical science and speculative philosophy aiming to achieve the transmutation of the base metals into gold, the discovery of a universal cure for disease, and the discovery of a means of indefinitely prolonging life. 2 : a power or process of transforming something common into something special. 3 : an inexplicable or mysterious transmuting 

1 : a science that deals with the composition, structure, and properties of substances and with the transformations that they undergo. 2 a : the composition and chemical properties of a substance *the chemistry of iron* b : chemical processes and phenomena (as of a organism) *blood chemistry* 

Merriam-Webster Dictionary http://www.merriam-webster.com/ 

• elementary substances
• forms of matter [of which all bodies are composed]
• laws that regulate the combination of these elements
• various phenomena that impact on substances and matter 

Chemistry is divided into two large subdivisions, which form the basis for all chemical study, research and work: 

• Organic [pertaining to substances with carbon atoms]
• Inorganic [deals with compounds generally not containing carbon and usually derived from minerals] 

Within each of these two groups, chemistry is divided into: 

• Physical chemistry—the marriage of chemistry and physics in the study of gases, solids, or liquids
• Analytical chemistry—qualitative analysis of chemicals in terms of structure
• Biochemistry—the chemistry of living organisms

Chemistry research is also common in the following research areas:

• Agricultural chemistry
• Biochemistry
• Electrochemistry
• Forensic
• Fuels and energy
• Industrial chemistry
• Stereochemistry [the study of the three-dimensional structure of molecules] 

Literature of chemistry 

If an army travels on its stomach, then chemicals surely travel on their journals. The cutting edge and the archival record of chemical research are both found almost exclusively within the realm of peer-reviewed journals. Chemists have never widely adopted other formats such as preprints or conference proceedings, and patents, another major segment of chemical literature, are not used as intensively by academics as by chemists in industry.

Flaxbert, David. 2001 (published 2003). “Conservations with Chemists: Information Seeking Behavior of Chemistry Faculty in the Electronic Age.” Science and Technology Libraries 21 (3/4): 5-26. 

• Chemist publish most often in journals
• Articles tend to be short, e.g. 1-2 pages 
• Results in numerous publications by individuals
• Patents crucial for pharmaceutical and chemical process industries
• Most monographs collections of articles compiled by editor
• Conference proceedings not as important as in other fields
• Relative contributions of the Document Types to Chemical Abstracts http://www.indiana.edu/~cheminfo/acs800/ca_primlit.htm
• E-prints/preprints 
• Chemists are the least likely in the field of science to rely on e-print servers 
• American Chemical Society has a policy against publishing any paper posted on a preprint server http://pubs.acs.org/cen/preprint.html
• Only 6% of editors of top chemistry journals will publish articles that have appeared as e-prints 
• Chemistry journals extremely expensive
• Average subscription price 2004 
• $2098.92 U.S. 
• https://web.archive.org/web/20041221213743/http://www.ala.org/ala/alctscontent/alctspubsbucket/alctsresources/general/periodicalsindex/2004-PPI.pdf 
• Online versions of most mainstream print chemistry journals available, various pricing models 
• Very few electronic only chemistry journals 
• Better bibliographic control than any other scientific discipline 
• Chemical Abstracts the premier abstracting/indexing service
• Graphic nature of subject creates need to be able to search by chemical structure 

Chemical Abstracts http://www.cas.org/prod.html 

• Indexes over 12,000 of the world’s chemistry journals and other sources – technical reports, patents, etc.
• Print version began in 1907; electronic 1967, available on DIALOG
• Now includes over 800,000 entries per year
• Printed edition updates weekly; online daily
• Semi annual and 5-year cumulations 
• Available in print on CD-ROM and online 

Chemical Abstracts – print edition 

• Weekly issues: two volumes per year 
• 80 subject sections divided into 5 broad groups 
• Biochemistry
• Organic chemistry 
• Macromolecular chemistry 
• Applied chemistry and chemical engineering
• Physical, inorganic and analytical chemistry 
• Coverage/scope 
• Very comprehensive 
• Journal articles
• Patents
• Books
• Reports
• Conference proceedings 
• Little quality control 
• Organization 
• Abstracts
• Indexes 
• Index Guide
• Key printed tool for identifying correct subject headings
• Weekly indexing 
• Author 
• Patents
• Only 1st version of patent indexed
• Keyword 
• Volume and collective indexes
• Author 
• General subject
• Chemical substance/nomenclature 
• Each substance assigned a unique registry number 
• Molecular formula index 
• Carbon, Hydrogen, all other elements in alphabetical order
• Hill System Order http://www.sul.stanford.edu/depts/swain/workshop/hill.html 

What is a registry number? 

• Unique identifying number given to a chemical structure 
• In the form of XXXXXX-YY-Z where X, Y and Z are numerals 
• 1st section is 2-6 digits, 2nd section is 2, 3rd section is 1 
• Easier to use than complicated Chemical Name 
• Also used by many other chemical reference sources 

Chemical Nomenclature 

• No single system of naming in chemistry 
• Common names of chemical substances, especially those encountered in the popular press, can be very misleading 
• http://www.csudh.edu/oliver/chemdata/com_name.htm
• CAS Registry Number 
• How to find CAS registry numbers for chemical compounds http://web.archive.org/web/20040228095139/http://library.humboldt.edu/~chadwick/casregno.htm
• IUPAC (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry) name http://www.chem.qmul.ac.uk/iupac/

 Common questions

• Bibliography
• History and biography
• Existence, occurrence and source – location of raw material; its form; known compounds
• Composition – natural and artificial products; specifications and standards; formulas
• Methods of production; preparation and manipulation
• Properties – physical and chemical; general and specific reactions
• Uses – laboratory and industrial; general and special applications
• Identification, testing and analysis – methods available; interpretation of results
• Patents and trademarks
• Statistical data – production; consumption; cost; supply; price; market 

High school students 

• Should be exposed to chemical handbooks and scientific journals 
• Should learn
• How to use basic chemical reference tools e.g. CRC Handbook
• What a scientific paper is, and be able to recognize the difference between a scientific journal article and an article on a scientific subject in a magazine or newspaper 

Material safety data sheets

• Regulated under Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) legislation, for chemical products 
• Designed to provide both workers and emergency personnel with the proper procedures for handling or working with a particular substance
• Include information such as physical data (melting point, boiling point, flash point, etc.), toxicity, health effects, first aid, reactivity, storage, disposal, protective equipment, and spill/leak procedures 

References

• Resources in Chemistry: Chemical Abstracts, SciFinder Scholar and CRC Online http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.utdallas.edu/~mmm018800/chemistryresources.ppt (Clicking on June 10 opens an archived PowerPoint presentation)
• Chemical Nonemclature https://web.archive.org/web/20040816112452/http://library.lib.binghamton.edu/subjects/chemistry/nomen.html

Crespo, Javier. “Training the Health information seeker: Quality issues in health information web sites.” Library Trends 2004 Fall, 53 (2): 360-74. In Academic Search Premier [Internet]. Ispwich (MA): EBSCO, c2005 [cited 2005 Jan 31]. Available from http://web35.epnet.com; accession No. 15353491 https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/bitstream/handle/2142/1732/Crespo360374.pdf?sequence=2

Consumer Health Information Service

Toronto Public Library. Consumer Health Information Service. https://web.archive.org/web/20050130090752/http://www.tpl.toronto.on.ca/uni_chi_index.jsp

Health and Medical Reference Guidelines

American Library Association. Health and Medical Reference Guidelines. http://www.ala.org/rusa/resources/guidelines/guidelinesmedical

Health sciences

Health sciences. Hurt, C. D. Informational Sources in Science and Technology, 3rd ed. Englewood, Colo. : Libraries Unlimited, 1998. pp. 263-265. 

The health sciences encompass all aspects of human health and include such disciplines as medicine, nursing, dentistry, and pharmacy. Within the health sciences, as defined here, there is heavy reliance on other disciplines, such as chemistry, as a foundation for much of the work done. For example, pharmacy, medicine, and, to lesser extents, nursing and dentistry require a grounding in chemistry as a prerequisite to entering the field. Reliance on these “outside” literatures will necessitate some control of them within the health science literature. 

Within the health sciences, practitioners rely heavily on the journal literature as the main tool for advancement of the field. A mix of researchers and practitioners contribute to the journal literature, with the mixture weighted slightly toward the researchers. Practitioners are heavy users of handbooks, because the amount of information a practitioner needs to master is impressive, and handbooks are a way to handle the sheer bulk of information. The use of handbooks is especially heavy in pharmacology, where a single drug compound may carry several different names. 

A recent development in the health sciences is the increasing integration of activities formerly tightly controlled by each group. An example is the integration of medicine and nursing: a significant number of tasks, formerly the exclusive province of the medical doctor, are now being handled by nurses. The functional integration of these two fields suggests that there must also be literature integration. Although the integration of the literatures is not as rapid or as visible as the functional integration, it is a point of concern for those attempting bibliographic control. 

An example within pharmacy of changes in the field is the shift from broad systematic drugs to more targeted approaches to drugs. Advances in chemistry that were transferred to pharmacy and integrated into the research, practice, and literature fostered this change. This type of advance suggests that the chemistry literature, always important to pharmacy, is now even more critical. 

The last decade witnessed a huge increase in popular medical literature. Those both inside and outside the health sciences are producing such literature at a staggering rate. The consistent publication rates for these materials suggest strongly that this is not a flash-in-the-pan publishing opportunity. Even on the Internet, a number of Web sites offer health information at varying levels of detail. This literature mirrors the desire of citizens to be more informed about their health. However, this literature also poses a problem for the health sciences. Should it be included in traditional bibliographic control? The answer is far from clear. 

An area of growth both in the popular health sciences materials and in some of the research literature is alternative medicine. The first is the public’s fascination with natural means of ensuring or assisting health. Natural products, such as garlic for cholesterol control, appeal to a public that hears how some products offered by the pharmaceutical industry to treat the same condition may cause liver damage. 

The second facet is within the health science research community. Pharmaceutical companies have noted the potential for sales and research in natural/alternative drugs. The synthesis of the specific compounds in natural drugs is a large research focus of most pharmaceutical companies and researchers. Research within the health sciences community is mixed regarding some forms of alternative medicine and treatments. In some cases, the research results are mixed, due to a variety of reasons and explanations. The mixed results add to the scepticisms of traditional practitioners and do little to convince non-professionals of the overall efficacy of alternative medicine. What is clear is that such treatments appear to work well for some patients. These results argue strongly that the health sciences must become multifaceted. The consequence of this movement will be an increase in the types and range of literature within the health sciences. 

Technology has increased the health sciences’ ability to serve a wider population with more varying techniques. The opportunities for telemedicine and the stress that this technique will place on the health science literature are enormous. These technological advances will continue to change research in and practice of the health sciences and to change the literature that underlies them. The health sciences have one of the strongest and best implemented bibliographic control systems in science and technology. Index Medicus and the MEDLINE system are the envy of other fields. They are the best example of what a government project, done well, can accomplish for bibliographic control. The beauty of the system is that all of the areas discussed in this chapter are included. Where appropriate, additional areas are included as well. The place of alternative medicine and popular materials is less clear in the MEDLINE system, but such materials are finding their way into it. 

Without question, the social benefits of the health sciences and the increase in research activity at all levels and in all areas will continue to keep these fields literature-rich. Bibliographic controls are available for most of the health sciences. The difficulty for secondary literature is keeping pace with, or within sight of, the primary literature horizon. In this respect, the health sciences share the problems inherent in the rest of science and technology.

Medicine

Chapter 8: Medicine
Malinowsky, H. R. Reference Sources in Science, Engineering, Medicine, and Agriculture. Phoenix, Ariz. : Oryx Press, 1994. pp. 188-189.

Medicine, from the Latin word medicina meaning “to heal,” is concerned with preventing and treating disease, as well as maintaining good health. It is an applied science using all of the physical sciences and some engineering disciplines in its research. It is usually divided into clinical and basic fields: clinical includes all the specialities and basic covers the areas more closely related to the biological sciences. The basic medical sciences attempt to discover and describe how the human body functions. They include:

• Anatomy—the study of all parts of the human body.
• Biochemistry—the study of all chemical processes that take place in the human body.
• Biophysics—the application of physics to biology in the study of the human body.
• Embryology—the study of the early development of life.
• Endocrinology—the study of the body’s endocrine system.
• Genetics—the study of genes and heredity.
• Microbiology—the study of microorganisms that may affect the human body.
• Pathology—the study of how diseases alter the body.
• Physiology—the study of vital functions of the human body and how they all work together to maintain life.
• Psychology—the study of human behavior as it functions biologically and with the social environment.

Clinical medicine has resulted in many specialities in the medical profession. There are two broad specialities, preventive medicine and public health, and many finely defined specialities:

• Preventive Medicine—the study of how to prevent diseases.
• Public Health—the study of how to maintain and promote good health.
• Anesthesiology—the study of anesthesia and anesthetics.
• Cardiology—the study of the heart and how it functions.
• Dentistry—the study of teeth and the oral cavity.
• Dermatology—the study of diagnosis and treatment of skin diseases.
• Gastroenterology—the study of the stomach and intestines.
• Geriatrics—treating the aged.
• Gerontology—the study of the chemical, biological, historical, and sociological aspects of aging.
• Gynecology—study and treatment of the diseases that affect the genital tract in women.
• Immunology—the study of how human organisms react to antigens.
• Internal Medicine—a general study of all internal parts of the human body.
• Neurology—the study of the nervous system, including neurosurgery.
• Nursing—the professions of helping individuals in their promotion, maintenance, and restoration to good health.
• Obstetrics—the treatment of all aspects of child bearing.
• Ophthalmology--the study of all aspects of the eyes.
• Orthopedics—-the part of surgery that is concerned with the restoration of the functions of the bones.
• Otorhinolarygology—the study of medical and surgical treatment of the head and neck including ears, nose, and throat.
• Pediatrics—the study and treatment of health and diseases in children.
• Plastic Surgery—the restoration or changing of physical features.
• Psychiatry—the treating of problems of the mind.
• Radiology—the study of the use of radioactive substances in the diagnosis and treatment of disease.
• Rehabilitation—the study of restoring individuals to normal functions or as close to normal as possible.
• Serology—the body of serums and their reactions on the body.
• Surgery—the treating of diseases and injuries through operations.
• Urology—the study of the male and female urinary tract.
• Venereology—the study of sexually transmitted diseases.

The most important indexing source for medical research is the Index Medicus, which provides print and electronic access. Other reference materials are many and include numerous well established dictionaries and encyclopaedias. There are also handbooks, some multivolume. Medicine is one where textbooks become reference books. Every special sub-discipline of medicine has older well-established textbooks as well as newly written ones. These become mini-treatises/handbooks/encyclopaedias for that discipline. A few have been included in this chapter but for the most part they are not listed because of the sheer numbers.

Sources of information in health sciences

Readings
American Library Association, Reference and Adult Services Division, Standards and Guideline Committee. Guidelines for medical, legal, and business responses [Internet]. Chicago (IL); rev. 2001 [cited 2005 Jan 31]. Available from http://www.ala.org/rusa/resources/guidelines/guidelinesmedical

Bibel, Barbara. Best consumer health books 2003. Library Journal 2004 May 1; 129(8):55. In Academic Search Premier [Internet]. Ipswich (MA): EBSCO, c2005- [cited 2005 Jan 31]. Available from http://web35.epnet.com; Accession No.: 3012981

Block, Marylaine. But Doctor, I found it on the Web – a presentation for the medical staff of Good Samaritian regional Medical Center, Phoenix, March 15, 2002. https://web.archive.org/web/20130603110325/http://marylaine.com/goodsam.html

Consumer & Patient Health Information Service [Internet]. Winnipeg: University of Manitoba. Health Sciences Libraries. [updated 2004 Aug 27l cited 2005 Feb 2]. Available from: https://web.archive.org/web/20050207083021/http://www.umanitoba.ca/libraries/units/health/reference/chis.shtml
About the University of Manitoba’s Neil John Maclean Health Sciences Library Consumer and Patient Health Information Service which is available to all Manitobans.

*Crespo, Javier. Training the health information seeker: Quality issues in health information web sites. Library Trends 2004 Fall, 53(2): 360-74. In Academic Search Premier [Internet]. Ipswich (MA): EBSCO, c2005 [cited 2005 Jan 41]. Available from http://web35.epnet.com; Accession No.: 15353491

HONcode Principles http://www.hon.ch/HONcode/Conduct.html
Code of conduct for medical and health sites from Health on the Net Foundation, a Geneva based foundation which is an NGO in special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the UN.

*Hurt, C. D. Information Sources in Science and Technology, 3rd ed. Englewood, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited, 1995. pp. 263-265.

Infohealth Guide http://www.gov.mb.ca/health/guide/index.html
Provides a brief overview of Manitoba’s health care system and its services, along with handy contact information so you can learn more about any aspect of health care in Manitoba.

*Malinowsky, H.R. Reference Sources in Science, Engineering, Medicine, and Agriculture. Phoenix, Ariz.: Oryx Press, 1994. pp. 188-189.

Medical Library Association. Consumer and Patient Health Information Section. The librarian’s role in the provision of consumer health information and patient education. [cited 2005 Jan 31]. Available from http://caphis.mlanet.org/chis/librarian.html

Medical Reference for Non-Medical Librarians https://web.archive.org/web/20060901225840/http://denison.uchsc.edu//outreach/medbib3.htm
Compiled by Jean C. Blakewell, Information Services Librarian, Health Science Library, UNC-Chapel Hill and additional material added by Lynne M. Fox. Includes tips for librarians and staff, regarding providing medical reference to consumers.

Online resources and guides
Academic Info Health and Medicine Consumer Health http://www.academicinfo.net/medgen.html

Canadian Health Network http://www.canadianhealthcarenetwork.ca/
CHN’s mission was to support Canadians in making informed choices about their health, by providing access to multiple sources of credible and practical e-health information. Through a network of health information providers which included Health Canada and national and provincial/territorial non-profit organizations, as well as universities, hospitals, libraries and community organizations.

Health Canada http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/index_e.html
Information from the Canadian government.

Consumer Health Links http://guides.wpl.winnipeg.ca/healthinfo
Guide to consumer health sites on a variety of topics from Winnipeg Public Library.

Consumer Health: An Online Manual http://nnlm.gov/outreach/consumer/
From U.S. National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM). Chapters covering a variety of topics such as: Evaluating Health Web Sites and Consumer Health Information on the Web.

*Consumer Health Information Service https://web.archive.org/web/20080302200112/http://www.tpl.toronto.on.ca/uni_chi_index.jsp
A free, confidential health information service that was provided by qualified health librarians and funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health for residents of Ontario. Site contained an extensive collection of resources, including a Consumer Health Collection Guide and Core Collection of Recommended Titles.

For an American produced list of core titles of books and journals for the small medical library, in allied health, and for nursing see: Brandon/Hill selected lists at https://web.archive.org/web/20091219032208/http://www.mssm.edu/library/brandon-hill/

familydoctor.org http://familydoctor.org
From American Academy of Family Physicians. Includes a “Search by Symptom” (self diagnosis) section.

Hamilton Health Sciences. HHS Library Services: Consumer Health Information Web Sites https://web.archive.org/web/20060426215631/http://www.hamiltonhealthsciences.ca/sites/library/chisites.htm

Virtual Reference Library: Health Topics from A to Z http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/search.jsp?N=37868+4293013254&searchPageType=vrl
Recommended Internet sites, selected and organized by the VRL staff of Toronto Public Library.

Abstracts and indexes
Consumer Health Complete http://wpl.winnipeg.ca/library/onlineresources/searchdatabase.asp
Search for consumer health information in over 700 health, fitness and nutrition magazines, clinical reports, medical encyclopedias and popular reference works. Also focuses on holistic and integrated approaches to health and wellness.

CHID (Combined Health Information Database) http://pathmicro.med.sc.edu/chidmic.htm
A bibliographic database produced by health-related agencies of the U.S. Federal Government. This database provides titles, abstracts, and availability information for health information and health education resources. Lists health promotion and education materials and program descriptions that are not indexed elsewhere.

CINAHL http://search.epnet.com/userlogin.asp
CINAHL, the Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature, is the authoritative resource for nursing and allied health professionals, students, educators, and researchers. This database provides indexing and abstracting for over 1,600 current nursing and allied health journals and publications dating back to 1982. Available through EBSOHost. Pre-CINAHL is a companion database to CINAHL, and is intended to provide current awareness of new journal articles, and includes a rotating file of limited bibliographic information (no subject searching), which are available to researchers only for the time when these articles are being assigned additional indexing. This enables users to gain access to article citations that otherwise would not be available. Once the bibliographic records are complete, they are added to the CINAHL database and removed from Pre-CINAHL.

Health Source Consumer Edition http://wpl.winnipeg.ca/library/onlineresources/searchdatabase.asp
Accessible with WPL library barcode number. Nearly 300 full-text consumer health periodicals, 1,100 pamphlets plus indexing and abstracts for more than 300 periodicals and 145 health reference books. In addition, the database provides access to up-to-date monographs for prescription drugs (U.S.), herbal and nutritional supplements and over-the-counter products. Information provided in this database should not be viewed as a means for self-diagnosis or a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

HSTAT http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/
The Health Services Technology/Assessment Texts (HSTAT) is a free, Web-based resource of full-text documents that provide health information and support health care decision making. HSTAT’s audience includes health care providers, health service researchers, policy makers, payers, consumers and the information professionals who serve these groups.

MedlinePlus http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/
Unlike PubMed this version of Medline has been specifically tailored to the information needs of consumers. Emphasis is on information available from NLM and NIH and includes links to searches of MEDLINE, and to the many full-text publications produced by the NIH institutes. Includes sections on health topics, medical dictionaries and glossaries, links to major associations and clearinghouses, publications and news items, directories of health professionals and health facilities and libraries that provide services for the public.

NARIC http://www.naric.com/
U.S. National Rehabilitation Information Center. Search REHABDATA or their other databases by keyword, or browse by subject topic.

Health Sciences Library & Informatics Center from University of Mexico http://hslic.unm.edu/
Contains bibliographic information and abstracts of health-related articles, reports, surveys, and other resource documents pertaining to the health and health care of American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Canadian First Nations.

PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed
Covers the fields of medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, the health care system, and the preclinical sciences. MEDLINEplus Health Information http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ is an excellent resource for consumer health information.

Women’s Health Matters http://www.womenshealthmatters.ca/
This Resource Database contains descriptions of books and periodicals, audiovisual and multimedia materials and websites. “Use this database as an access point to women’s health resources in English, French and other languages. We focus on information from Ontario and the rest of Canada, but our collection also includes information from around the world.”