|
|
Traditional Structure of Chemical Literature
Primary Materials- information reported by scientists
- Original Articles and Letters / electronic journals
- Patents
- Technical Reports
- Conference Proceedings
- Dissertations
Secondary Materials- repackaged and better organized information
reported by researchers
- Review Articles
- Abstracts
- Bibliographies
- Indexes
- Dictionaries/Handbooks
- Tables/Datasets
- Trade Catalogs, Bulletins
- Advertisements
- Treatises
- Chemical Safety Information
Tertiary Materials - works designed to teach you how to use primary and secondary works
Issues to Consider When Choosing a Reference Tool
- Scope
- Does the tool cover the type of information you are looking for?
- Comprehensiveness - Does the reference tool cover "everything" published in the field or do the editors draw from specific sources?
- Chronological coverage
- From how far back in time is information gathered? How recently has the reference tool been published?
- Access points
- How is to tool indexed? What do you have to know before you can use the tool?
- Quality
- Who compiled the information presented in the reference tool? Did the original information come from reputable sources? Is there a system of fact checking in place?
Learning to use a reference tool
- Front matter - The first few pages of most print resources
contain tips on how to best use the tool, as well as the name of the editor, publisher information, copyright date, scope, comprehensiveness, and chronological coverage of a reference tool. Usually, a labeled sample record and a key to abbreviations is also available in the front matter.
- Help systems - Electronic reference tools are usually equipped with help systems. These built-in systems provide information about:
- truncation
- implied adjacency
- protocols for searching
the database
|