SciFinder from CAS: Information at the Desktop for Scientists

摘要

Once upon a time, when scien-tists needed chemical infor- mation they went to the library and looked up the topic in Chemical Abstracts. Over the years, this chore became increasingly difficult and labor-intensive. One reason was the sheer size of CA, another was the Ninth Collective Index change in nomenclature rules that most chemists have never mastered. Computer searching offered solutions to these problems, yet it created another barrier because the online systems were so complex and sophisticated that the typical scientist preferred to turn searches over to an intermediary. The downside was that no matter how thorough and prompt the response from an information professional, the scientist sometimes still had to sacrifice spontaneity, serendipity and immediacy.