Information on the Internet for Chemistry Students
Outline and Web Links
UNH Engineering and Physical Sciences Librarian
el @ cisunix.unh.edu
I. What is the Internet? What is the World Wide Web?
A. A glance at the beginnings of the Web from Tim Berners-Lee, who put it together from his own and other people's ideas.
B. The inner workings
II. Science information on the World Wide Web
A. Your question
B. Finding answers with search engines (like finding needles in haystacks)
1. Search engines and searching tips. See list of search engines compiled by UNH reference librarians. Search engine comparisons at Search Engine Showdown.
2. Meta-search engines (included on list above)
3. The invisible Web, an example of indexed invisible Web sites: Resource Discovery Network
C. Evaluating your sources (see Evaluating Web Sites for Quality from the UNH Library's Reference Dept.) The Urban Legends Reference Pages (Snopes) by Barbara and David Mikkelson are great for uncovering Internet legends and hoaxes.
III. Selected Web sites (already evaluated!)
A. Sites linked from the Chem Library
B. And more:
1. WebElements developed at the University of Sheffield.(http://www.chemsoc.org/viselements/)
2. Visual Elements from the Royal Society of Chemistry (http://www.chemsoc.org/viselements/)
3. Chemistry Resources on the Internet, an annotated Webliography
IV. Cite your sources -- online citation guidance. The field of Chemistry has its own format; see the ACS Style Guide, available on reserve at the Chemistry Library. For other fields, use recommended style or a guide such as Electronic Styles.
For example:
UNH Chemistry Branch Library. http://www.library.unh.edu/branches/chemgide.html (accessed
Sept. 28, 2005).
V. If you are looking for help, please feel free to ask us! That's what librarians and library staff are here for.
University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH