SciFinder, the Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) suite of databases, has been available with a web interface since 2007. Like its desktop or locally installed client equivalent, it provides access to over 32 million references, dating back to 1907, the CA registry of over 54 million substances, the CASREACT reactions database and a number of other lists. Unlike the desktop version, SciFinder Web does not require downloading extensive client‐side software, although users may need the latest Java plug‐ins to interact fully with the resource and to use the Structure Drawing Editor. SciFinder Web users are also required to register for a SciFinder username and password that must be used for each session in addition to any other institutional authentication protocols.
The interface is clean, intuitive and approachable, easily used by undergraduates and experienced researchers. Users have three main search options; Explore References, Explore Substances and Explore Reactions and each pathway has a range of appropriate search tools. Explore References allows searching in natural language for topics or more narrowly by author – personal or corporate, journal name or Digital Object Identifier (DOI), and retrieves references to the journal, conference and patent literature. Patent searching is particularly well enabled with the ability to search for specific patent numbers in all major international jurisdictions, by inventor or assignee. It is also possible to search by Tags, a feature that refers to SciFinder's uptake of social media, but more about that later. Results from searching topics are presented first as exact or concept matches and the user has the option to select either or both; this is useful as the system does not allow truncation. The list of resources comes with the options to analyze or refine to further restrict the search set, and both functions work well. Under Analyze, the user can categorize results, essentially refine by CA subject heading, or pursue works by author. The Refine tab allows the user to narrow results by date, language and other aspects of the records, each resulting in a drop down menu of options. As the user refines the search, a handy “breadcrumb” bar at the top of the results page tracks the changes made to the strategy and allows easy access to previous results lists. The references link through to the institution's listings or the web to Full Text where it is available and there is full backward and forward citation linking. The subjects covered in the database go beyond chemistry as a pure science – there is substantial information on teaching chemistry, on commercialization, and the inclusion of Medline records broadens the scope to the life and health sciences. Of particular note is the connection to various genetic resources such as the HUGO gene identifier which enables SciFinder to find search results that include genes that are related to any gene(s) included in an initial search query.
Where SciFinder leaps ahead of other search tools however is in the Explore Substances and Explore Reactions options. Explore Substances allows the user to search by key identifiers including chemical names or CAS registry numbers, molecular formula, or to search by drawing the chemical structure using the Structure Drawing Editor, either across the references or specifically within the Patent references using the Markush tool. Searches in this category bring up different analysis and refinement tools and parameters, again ensuring the user can focus a search appropriately and easily. Data from results can be exported to Excel for further analysis. Attention is paid to commercial aspects of chemistry and search results link to supplier lists.
As one would expect, Explore Reactions is searchable only through the drawing interface. This is very slick, and allows users to import illustrations from elsewhere or draw their own with sophisticated drawing tools. The online tutorial for this, as for the other database operations, is helpful and the Help files are also useful. Although SciFinder provides separate pathways to references, substances and reactions, the data are all linked, so that users can start in substances and from there retrieve both references to the literature and reactions involving the substance.
The uniqueness, robustness, comprehensiveness, and currency of the database has always made SciFinder an indispensable research tool in chemistry. New features make it even more user‐friendly and useful. The navigation is smooth and there are a number of customization options for limiting searches, displaying results and exporting records that enable experienced users to work more efficiently. Users can tag and comment on results with information keyed to their username, and then use the tags to retrieve materials they have already discovered. These tags and comments can be shared with “invited” colleagues, enabling further cooperation. SciFinder also has a Facebook page and User Group in LinkedIn to connect researchers. SciFinder users can save answer sets and a Keep Me Posted Results function alerts users to related new material in the database. The web interface allows more access flexibility for users as once they have a username they can access the database from anywhere. Users who need to perform more complex set and data manipulation may want to use the Desktop version as these features are unavailable on the web version, while Mac users may have to check with CAS regarding some set‐up idiosyncrasies.
SciFinder content is unique and has a price tag to match. A typical a site license for six concurrent users at university institutions offering doctoral degrees in chemistry can exceed the six‐figure threshold. However, SciFinder Web is a must‐have for most universities.
