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CHMC31 Intermediate Inorganic Chemistry

What are the different ways to find journal articles?

There are several different ways to find journal articles.  The major ones are:

  • Chemistry specific databases: chemistry databases are great if you are interested in searching for a chemical compound by structure or if you are interested primarily in chemistry papers.  Examples include SciFinder and the Cambridge Structural Database.
  • Interdisciplinary databases: these databases have a broader focus than chemistry databases.  Two science focused one are Web of Science and Scopus.
  • Google scholar: while you certainly can use Google Scholar to find your papers, in many circumstances librarians would recommend something else.  This is especially true in chemistry - Google can't (yet) search through papers by chemical structure, while chemistry specific databases can.
  • Browsing: by reading through a journal (either electronically on with a physical copy) you can find out what is currently popular in the field. For example, if you want to know what is currently popular in inorganic chemistry you can skim through Inorganic Chemistry, or other journals which cover the subject.
  • Searching for a known article: if you have a citation - say if you are reading an article and find a reference for another paper you'd like to read - you can try using article finder.  Alternately, you can go to the journal's homepage to find what you are looking for (how to find a journal's homepage is covered on the "browsing eJournals" page.

Getting Fulltext

When searching for articles in library research databases, look for links like "get full text" or "publisher PDF" to access and read the article. 

If there is no direct link to the full text, or you experience problems, simply copy the article title or DOI and enter it into the LibrarySearch box (LibrarySearch Tips).  When full text is not readily available online, you can use the title of the journal (not the article title or author) to search then browse through the journal to find the specific article.

If U of T Libraries doesn't have an electronic copy of the article, you can also look for print versions of the article, or request it from another library through LibrarySearch (LibrarySearch Tips).  

Is there an easy way for me to authenticate as a U of T user while I'm researching off-campus?

Yes! We can suggest several strategies.

  1. Start at the library webpage: By signing in with your UTORid and password when you are using LibrarySearch, you are authenticated as a U of T user for the rest of your browser session.  This allows you access to U of T licensed e-content, such as articles, databases, or e-books.
  2. Change your Google Scholar settings: Make sure Google Scholar knows you're a U of T user. Once you change your settings, you'll see "Get it! UTL" links next to articles in your search results.
  3. Get LibKeyNomad: If you're using Chrome or Edge, install an extension called LibKey Nomad. It will link you to the PDF of articles owned by U of T or open access.
  4. Paste the proxy: If you're on a journal website, try pasting http://myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/login?url= in front of the URL you're currently on.  You will be asked to log in with your UTORid. Note: This only works if the library actually subscribes to the journal.
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