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Steacie Science and Engineering Library > SciFinder > SciFinder Scholar FAQ

SciFinder Scholar FAQ

SciFinder Frequently Asked Questions Page

All About SciFinder.

SciFinder provides access via the Internet to the full Chemical Abstracts database from 1907 to the present. The database includes citations to the literature in all branches of chemistry, as well as compound information including structure, chemical names, formulas, CAS Registry Numbers and reaction information for organic, organometallic and biocatalyzed reactions. Commercially available chemical information as well as the listing of regulated chemicals (Chemlist) is included. Other subjects covered are biochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology and materials science. Tables of contents of a core list of chemistry journals is available.

Also included is the Medline database from 1958 to the present. SciFinder searches the CAS databases and Medline simultaneously. To eliminate Medline searches see the FAQ below.

Check the SciFinder Support and Training Page for tutorials on searching SciFinder, and the SciFinder Strategies web page.

Frequently Asked Questions.

1. Can I access Scifinder directly from the list of E-Resources? Yes. The link takes you to the web version of SciFinder. You need to be registered to gain access to the web version.

2. How do I use SciFinder from home? From the York University Libraries home page, click on Login to eResources from home in the left sidebar, and log in with your Passport York account. This allows you to use library resources from home. SciFinder users must register for an additional account that is used just for SciFinder, and this must be done using a computer on campus. Once you have registered, you will be able to sign in to SciFinder using your newly-created username and password. The first time you attempt to log in remotely, you will have to click through a few advisory messages; these appear only the first time you log in remotely.

3. How do I eliminate Medline searches? You can do this by clicking “Preferences” in the top-right corner of SciFinder; under “Remove Duplicate References”, check off the box labelled “Automatically remove duplicate MEDLINE answers“.

4. How can I limit my search to a particular journal? You will need to search a topic, get references and analyze them by journal name.

5. How can I search more than one author? Search an Author Name under Explore References, by entering the last name of the author, and, if known, the first initial.  Select known variations of the author’s name, or simply click “Select All”, then click “Get References”. Then click on the Refine tab in the right sidebar, click on the “Author Name” radio button, and enter another author’s name in the box below, then click “Refine”.

6. How can I link to full-text? Full-text is available by clicking on “Full Text” beneath individual references.  If York subscribes to the journal, a link to the full text will appear under “Web-based document resources”.  You can search the York Libraries catalogue via the link under “Your organization’s document resources”.  Please note:  York does not subscribe to all the journals for which full-text is available.

7. How can I save records to Reference Manager? Instructions for importing data to Endnote, Procite or Reference Manager are available from the CAS page. To import citations into RefWorks, follow these instructions:

  1. Click in the box to the left of desired citations.
  2. Click on Save As (located on the navigation bar)
  3. Select Tagged Format (*.txt) from the Save as type drop-down menu.
  4. Click Save
  5. Log into RefWorks.
  6. Click on References and Import at the top of the screen.
  7. Select CAS SciFinder from the Import Filter/Data Source drop down menu.
  8. Select Multiple Databases from the Database drop-down menu.
  9. At the Import  Data from the following Text File box click on the Browse button to select the file name of your saved records.
  10. Click on Import.
  11. Your citation(s) will automatically be imported into the Last Imported Folder.

Support

 Leila Fernandez, (416)736-2100 x40075

Rajiv Nariani, (416)736-2100 x20396

Please return here often as we update the Frequently Asked Questions and other resources and links.