Finding Information

What information do you need?

  • Molecules or compounds involved?
  • Chemical principles involved?
  • Structures of the molecules and compounds?
  • Supporting data & documentation, such as a journal article?

Resources to Start With:

  • Course textbook (properly cited, of course)
  • Encyclopedias
    • AccessScience
      Online version of the the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology, 9th Edition, and the the McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 6th Edition. Covers all areas of science and technology, including Anthropology & Archeology, Chemistry, Engineering & Materials, Food Science & Technology, Medicine and Paleontology.
    • Encyclopaedia Britannica Online
    • Encyclopedia of Astronomy and Astrophysics
    • Encyclopedia of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering
      Includes research and applications in tissue engineering, prosthetics, drug delivery, biosensors, and medical devices. Include literature citations, chemical structures and color graphics.
    • Encyclopedia of Food Science and Technology
    • Encyclopedia of food sciences and nutrition / editor-in-chief Benjamin Caballero, editors, Luiz C. Trugo and Paul M. Finglas, 2nd ed. San Diego, Calif. : London : Academic, c2003.
      Bioscience Library TX349.E47 2003 Reference Shelves
    • Encyclopedia of Materials
      Covers all areas of materials science including structural materials, functional materials, structural phenomena, functional phenomena, polymers and materials chemistry.
    • Encyclopedia of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
    • Encyclopedia of Water Science
      Provides information on all areas of water science including current laws and regulations, irrigation management, agricultural water economics, agroforestry, erosion control, nutrient best management practices, and water sanitation.
    • Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology
      Covers all areas of chemical technology including the properties, manufacturing, and uses of chemicals and materials, processes, and engineering principles.
    • Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry
      Covers all facets of industrial chemistry including polymers, plastics, metals, alloys and environmental protection. Includes tables and figures, as well as literature sources and cross-references.
    • Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia
      Includes more than 300,000 articles written collaboratively by contributors around the world. The site is a "wiki" which means that anyone can edit articles simply by clicking on the "edit this page" link that appears at the top of each page.
  • Journal Articles - Journal Article Databases:
  • Books - Selected books that you may find useful:
    • Chem 1A Fascinating Chemistry Book Collection
    • The Chemistry of Explosives / Jacqueline Akhavan. 2nd ed.
      Cambridge, UK : Royal Society of Chemistry, 2004.
      Chemistry Library TP270.A38 2004  Reference Shelves
    • The Chemistry of Fireworks / Michael S. Russell.
      Cambridge, UK : Royal Society of Chemistry, c2000.
      Chemistry Library TP300.R87 2000 Reference Shelves
    • Cosmetics, Science and Technology / edited by M.S. Balsam and Edward Sagarin. 2nd ed.
      Malabar, Fla. : Krieger Pub. Co., 1992.
      Chemistry Library TP983.C783 1992 v. 1-3 (1992) Reference Shelves
    • Food Chemistry / edited by Owen R. Fennema. 3rd ed.
      New York : M. Dekker, c1996.
      Bioscience Library TX541.F65 1996 Reserve
      Moffitt Library TX541.F65 1996 On 2 hour reserve
    • On Food and Cooking : the Science and Lore of the Kitchen / Harold McGee.
      New York : Scribner, 2004.
      Bioscience Library TX651.M37 2004 Shelved: Reserve On 7 day reserve

    To find similar books on other topics use the Libray Catalogs:

    Pathfinder Catalog [Guide.pdf]
    Melvyl Catalog [Guide html] [Guide pdf]

  • Internet

    Free resources for general background or specific information. (These resources must be evaluated very carefully, and the information in them should be supported by other sources, such as books and journal articles.)

    Useful websites to start with.

  • Structures

    Resources for chemical structures.
  • Example of the Research Plan used in locating information for a research project on the topic of decaffeinated coffee.

    Some of the resources listed on this page are restricted to computers with UCB IP addresses. All computers in the campus libraries, microcomputer centers, offices, labs and dormitories will allow access. If you are trying to connect from off-campus you will need to use the library proxy server.