Features of SciFinder-n

Try the following search features of SciFinder-n to improve your search results, including:

• truncation
• citation mapping
• direct property search
• searching for experimental NMR data
• combining reference searches with structures or reactions.

The following slides provide details...

Truncation

Like SciFinder, SciFinder-n (SFn) employs truncated searching, but does it a little differently than the automatic truncation​ found in SciFinder.  SFn utilizes  an asterisk ( “*” ) after topics, authors' and company names, reactions or substances. This search tool will allow the user to obtain terms related to their original entries, including biomolecules, unspecific derivatives or otherwise unrecorded spelling variations in their search results. This strategy will result in better searches for regulatory information, and for information about enzymes or polymers. In addition, users may insert an asterisk (“*” ) into search terms to further expand results, e.g. Mu*ller, Anton will find both Anton Muller, Anton Mueller and Anton Müller and even Anton Mller.

As in SciFinder-web, enclosing a phrase in quotes ( “ ”) will allow the user to find exact phrases when reference searching.

Citation mapping

In SciFinder-n researchers may examine "scholarly conversations" using “citation maps.” Forward and backward citation searches of selected documents will allow the user to locate key contributors and hidden literature in a variety of research areas.  Combining top results, sorted by relevance, with a citation map can quickly inform a researcher new to a topic.  

Direct property search

In property searching one can combine multiple properties and even a molecular formula in one search. Refine after the fact with a drawn structure to further hone in on interesting molecules.
 

Searching experimental NMR peaks

This functionality is found under the Substances search => Advanced search. The function allows users to search for H1, C13, N15, N19, P31 experimental chemical shifts from the ACD collection of NMR’s. Users can combine a NMR search with a molecular formula – or property search with the Boolean AND.

Reference searches, structures or reactions

The combination of topic search with a structure- or reactions search enables users to search very broadly on very generic structures with very generic topics --beware: using this strategy will return many results.