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Chemistry

This is a guide for research in chemistry.

Getting Started with Chemistry Research

This guide is intended to help you identify where to search for literature and data, develop your search strategy, and manage and cite sources. Use the tabs to the left of this box to help navigate this guide.

For additional research support, reach out to your subject librarian.

Developing your search strategy

Chemistry research can cover an extensive range of topics and intersect with numerous other fields. When you start to explore chemistry research, it can be helpful to consider these search elements:

  • Keywords: write down a few key words, phrases, names, and dates that might relate to your topic. You should also consider different ways of talking about things, like generic/chemical/trade names for chemicals, chemical symbols/elements, and other terminologies and synonyms you might encounter.  

  • Source Types: think about what types of sources you're looking for. Primary research articles? Reviews? Popular sources? Government reports? Datasets?

  • Databases: identify which databases include the kind of sources you're looking for. Often you have to think more broadly than your specific report, trial study, or other reference work in order to find relevant sources—where might you find related works? 

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Databases

These databases are a good starting place for searching literature in Chemistry. For more options, see all Chemistry databases.

Other Chemistry Resources

Where can you find Material Safety Data Sheets?

Material Safety Data Sheets are produced by companies that manufacture chemical substances. They provide procedures for handling a particular substance. The MSDS will provide data such as physical properties, toxicity, reactivity, etc.

You might also find references to SDS (Safety Data Sheets). These are essentially the same as MSDS. SDS are formatted to conform to the United Nations' Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) with 16 standardized sections arranged in a specific order.

While you can often find MSDS/SDS using Google, you can usually save a lot time by starting here!

What is a CAS Registry Number?

CAS Registry Numbers are unique identifiers assigned to specific substances by the Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS), department of the American Chemical Society. For example the CAS RN for acetone is  67-64-1.

 

Diagram showing molecular structure, name, and CAS Number of acetone.

CAS Numbers are useful for substance searching in chemistry databases. A single search by CAS RN retrieves results for chemical names, synonyms, trade names, systematic names of the same substance. 

How do I find the CAS Registry Number?

If you know the chemical name you can find its CAS Number by searching in the following databases

A handful of links to local resources and organizations here in the Twin Cities to help kick-start your research process.