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CHEM 311-313 Organic Chemistry Research Guide

Literature Research Projects in CHEM 311-313:

  • Prepare an annotated bibliography describing your research on a pharmaceutical.
  • Deconstruct a Chemistry research article.
  • Do a literature search on a named reaction.

Annotated Bibliography entries are composed of three sections:

  • Citation completed in correct ACS format.
  • Summary section, 2-3 sentences: What did the resource say about your topic?
  • Evaluation section, 2-3 sentences: What did you learn from this information?

Electronic and Print References:

Under Electronic Reference, use the online database Credo Reference for quick access to definitions. Make note of key terms you might not have considered. Stat Ref Health and PubMed Bookshelf are collections of electronic, full text medical sourcebooks. The print resources listed below and those shelved around them are also critical in successful completion of these assignments:

McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology REF Q121 .M3 2007

Chemical Technology and the Environment REF QD4 .C54 2007

Van Nostrand’s Encyclopedia of Chemistry REF QD4 .V36 2005

Hawley’s Condensed Chemical Dictionary REF QD5 .C5 2007

Concise Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology REF QD4 .K54 2007

CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics REF QD65 .C72 2012

The Merck Index: an Encyclopedia of Chemicals, Drugs, and Biologicals REF RS51 .M4 2006

Physicians Desk Reference REF RS 75 .P5 2010

Physicians Desk Reference for Herbal Medicines REF RM 666 .H33 P37 2007

Conn’s Current Therapy REF RM101 .C87 2009

Drug Information Handbook REF RM301.12 .D78 2009

Lang’s Handbook of Chemistry REF QD65 .L36 2005

Dean’s Handbook of Organic Chemistry REF QD251.3 .G65 2004

March’s Advanced Organic Chemistry REF QD251.2 .M37 2007

Greene’s Protective Groups in Organic Synthesis REF QD262 .G665 2007

Vogel’s Textbook of Practical Organic Chemistry REF QD261 .V63 1989

Strategic Applications of Named Reactions in Organic Synthesis REF QD262 .K87 2005

Nomenclature of Organic Compounds REF QD291 .F6 2001

Named Organic Reactions REF QD291 .L3513 2005

Name Reactions: A Collection of Detailed Reaction Mechanisms REF QD291 .L5 2009

Name Reactions and Reagents in Organic Synthesis REF QD291 .M86 2005

Vocabulary and Concepts of Organic Chemistry REF QD291 .V63 2005

Handbook of Data on Common Organic Compounds REF QD257.7 .H35 1995

Fieser’s Reagents for Organic Synthesis REF QD 262 .P5

Periodicals:

Most projects benefit from using several science databases to locate material. Many abstracts will have a full text link on the same page. If not, go to the Journals & Magazines tab on the Library homepage to find library location for the journals and dates to which we have access.

If we don’t own a journal, articles can be requested through Interlibrary Loan by selecting that button on the Library screen and entering your request. You can also request articles by using the ILL button in the databases.

Check these databases first:

Components of a Research Article:

Research articles generally have IMRAD:

  • Introduction – supply sufficient background to understand results of the present paper, describe study area, provide rationale, and state purpose clearly and briefly.
  • Methods & Materials – describe experimental design in enough detail for others to replicate and explain method in chronological order.
  • Results – provide overall view of experiment and present the data (representative, not endlessly repetitive).
  • And Discussion – Discuss, don’t repeat the results, state conclusions and evidence to support each conclusion clearly, and explain the significance of the experiment.

RefWorks:

Use RefWorks to manage research for your assignments and create a bibliography in ACS citation style. This program allows you to import citations from databases, store in folders and incorporate them into your work.

Create a Word document in ACS style of the citations you are using. The finished paper is only as good as the information you input. You are responsible for correct journal abbreviations, proper pagination, etc. in your final document. The ACS Style Guide 3rd Edition is your ultimate guide and is located at the Reference desk or in the reference collection at REF QD8.5 .A25 2006. Then add your summary and evaluation annotations. Be sure your evaluation, especially for web resources, addresses the questions of authority, relevance and currency in your citations.

Final Thoughts:

Research is a non-linear, recursive process. Be creative in your research process and keep careful notes as you work. It’s easier to record as you go rather than to recreate later.

If you are having trouble, ask a librarian. Librarians are available at the research desk until 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday.