Find Articles: Indexes and Databases:
SciFinder Scholar

• Introduction
• Introduction and Brief Guide to Scifinder Scholar
• Access to SciFinder Scholar at Rutgers
• Need Search Assistance?

Introduction

SciFinder Scholar is the electronic version of the print publication "Chemical Abstracts". Like "Chemical Abstracts", SciFinder Scholar comprehensively covers the world-wide literature of chemistry including print journal articles, online publications, patents, conference proceedings, theses and dissertations, technical reports, government documents, etc.

Introduction and Brief Guide to Scifinder Scholar
by Dr. Howard M. Dess, Chemistry Librarian

Access to SciFinder Scholar at Rutgers

Access to SciFinder Scholar is limited to current faculty or administrative staff members, officially registered students, or a formally affiliated visiting scholars or researchers of the university. Please read the SciFinder Scholar User Agreement [PDF].

SciFinder Scholar is not a web based product, and can be accessed only through specific computers located in the science libraries and in certain science departments such as the Chemistry Dept., the College of Pharmacy, and other academic departments. Consult with reference librarians to help you locate those computers in the science libraries. For information about departmental computers that have been enabled to search Scifinder Scholar, you should contact the systems administrators of those departments.

If you would like to be able to access SciFinder Scholar from your Rutgers office or lab computer, you must first install the necessary client software. Information for this is available on a separate Requirements & Installation Instructions page.

Please note the computer specifications required to run this product and make sure your workstation meets or exceeds those operational requirements.

Users of SciFinder Scholar at Rutgers need to keep in mind that we currently have a limit of five simultaneous users for all of the New Brunswick campuses, and only one user each at the Newark and Camden campuses. Therefore, during heavy use periods, you may get the equivalent of a busy signal when you try to enter. If that happens, just keep trying. Also, the system is currently set to disconnect any workstation that is idle for more than 10 minutes (i.e., no commands entered into the system for 10 minutes). So if you become immersed in reading a list of documents retrieved from one of your searches you may be momentarily surprised when a 10 minute warning screen pops up and you are given the option of continuing or being automatically disconnected.

Need Search Assistance?

SciFinder Scholar provides extensive help screens covering virtually all aspects of the database. If you need more specialized assistance you may contact the Chemistry Librarian, Howard Dess (office tel.: 732/445-3526, ext. 315; or via email: dess@rci.rutgers.edu). Faculty members wishing to provide tutorials or workshops about the use of SciFinder Scholar for their classes may also contact Howard Dess for this purpose.