Tips for Finding Articles
Articles about this subject can be found in publications from a wide variety of disciplines. Use the databases on this page to get access to thousands of articles examining the subject from different perspectives or browse the key publications shown.
If the full text of an article is not available in a database, click on the 
icon to find other options for getting the article.
Scholarly Literature Databases
SciFinder is most likely the best tool for finding scholarly chemical literature, but you may find the other listed databases helpful, especially in interdisciplinary research.
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CAS SciFinder-n This link opens in a new window
SciFinder-n is the premier chemical information source, consisting of chemical data, manufacturing information, patents, and citations to scholarly literature. Chemical structure searching is available via a drawing tool.
To use SciFinder-n, you must create an account using your BU email address.
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Web of Science This link opens in a new window
This database is a core general science resource, covering all aspects of scientific literature. It also has a number of tools that make it a unique resource for finding scholarly literature. Item records come with links both to the works cited by the paper in question and the future works that cite that paper. Web of Science also allows the user to set up email alerts for specific authors or topics, provides researcher profiles, and to use associated journal metrics provided by the vendor.
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PubMed This link opens in a new window
Comprehensive coverage of abstracts to the biomedical literature. Includes medicine, the allied health disciplines, and biomedical literature. Materials range from 1809 Onwards, with more recent decades better represented.
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General Science Full Text This link opens in a new window
A multidisciplinary science database designed for students and non-specialists. Subjects includes astronomy, biology, botany, chemistry, conservation, health, medicine, oceanography, physics, and zoology. Covers leading journals and magazines, biographical sketches, symposia, conferences, review articles, and special issues of journals. Also covers the New York Times Science Section and cites book reviews.
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Google Scholar This link opens in a new windowGoogle Scholar provides access to academic literature from many disciplines. The sources include articles, theses, books, abstracts and court opinions and come from diverse places including academic publishers, online repositories and other websites.
Core Chemistry Research Journals
These highly-cited journals publish original, peer-reviewed research in chemistry and chemistry-related disciplines.
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Journal of the American Chemical SocietyAvailable 1879-present
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Molecular CellAvailable 1997-present
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Nature ChemistryAvailable 2010-present
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Nature MaterialsAvailable 2009-present
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Nature Structural & Molecular BiologyAvailable 2004-present
Chemistry Review Journals
The journals below are highly-cited review journals. Review journals publish meta-analyses that synthesize the findings of original research. Meta-analyses describe the state of research in a given area or the scientific consensus (or lack thereof) on a given topic.
Getting Books Not Available at BU
There are several ways you can obtain books or articles that we do not own. These include:
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WorldCat Discovery. WorldCat Discovery allows current BU faculty, staff, and students to borrow books directly from other Boston Library Consortium libraries. Turnaround time is approximately three working days. (How to use WorldCat Discovery)
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Interlibrary Loan. Interlibrary Loan services allow current BU faculty, staff, and students to request books, articles, book chapters, and other materials that our ILL staff will obtain from other libraries. Books generally take 2-4 weeks to arrive; articles are generally delivered electronically within 1-2 days.
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ILL online request forms for all patrons except those affiliated with the Schools of Law and Medicine
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Law Library's interlibrary loan page for Law School affiliates
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Alumni Medical Library’s ILL form for Medical School affilliates
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For general inquires to the Interlibrary Loan office, please call (617) 353-3706 or email ILLMML@bu.edu.
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- BLC Cards. A Boston Library Consortium Card allows the bearer to borrow—in person—circulating material from a member library, just as you would from a BU library. Boston University faculty, staff, and students on the Charles River Campus may obtain a Consortium Card by filling out an application form. Medical Campus affiliates apply at the Alumni Medical Library.
