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SciFinder Scholar
Chemical Abstracts Service, Columbus, OH. Contact CAS Customer Service, 800/753-4227 or 614/447-3700, for details. Cost for subscribers to print Chemical Abstracts: $15,000 for one simultaneous user; $6000 for each additional simultaneous user. Cost for nonsubscribers to print CA: $20,400 for one simultaneous user; $8400 for each additional simultaneous user.
The minimum computer requirements to use SciFinder Scholar are:
PC: 486-66 MHz, DOS 5.0 or higher, 12 MB RAM, Internet connection, Windows 95 or NT 4.0 or higher.
Macintosh: Mac PowerPC, System 7.0 or higher with Mac TCP, 12 MB RAM, 32 bit addressing, color monitor.
SciFinder Scholar offers very easyto-use computer searching of the complete CAplus, CASREACT, and Registry databases from Chemical Abstracts Service. This means students, faculty, and other researchers have ready access to all journal articles, book chapters, patents, conference proceedings, technical reports, and dissertations covered in Chemical Abstracts (CA). Because it searches CAplus, rather than the CA file (available with the STN Academic Plan), access is extended to articles that are currently being indexed and to nontechnical material such as book reviews and biographical information. The full Registry and CASREACT files are drawn on seamlessly for searches that involve substances and reactions.
SciFinder Scholar is designed so infrequent searchers can explore the chemical literature, thereby eliminating the need to learn the intricacies of searching CA on STN International computer system. It serves that purpose very well. Institutions pay an annual subscription fee, so students and faculty do not need to be concerned about the cost of individual searches. As a result, searches are more likely to be done as part of teaching and research, and students will learn to search CA as part of their work as professional scientists. SciFinder Scholar serves as an excellent resource for teaching students about the coverage, content, indexing policies, and different types of publications covered by the CAplus and CASREACT files, as well as the value and content of the Registry file. In fact, searchers can do more productive searches if they understand the content and indexing policies of CA. Similarly, all searchers should review the tips for searching SciFinder Scholar, which are planned for the Chemical Abstracts Service Web site (http:// www.cas.org/SCIFINDER). This is especially important for understanding how to state research topic...