John Crerar Library
Science Databases

Databases by Subject

NOTE: These Science Databases pages are no longer being updated.

Please use the Database Finder to obtain current information about available science databases. You can search for a database by typing title keywords into the search box. Or you can display a subject-specific list by clicking on "Subject Browse" and then choosing a subject.

Within each of the subject areas on the left hand column of the page, librarians have chosen the most appropriate resources for finding information on that subject. Most of the databases are indexes to articles: in other words, your search will retrieve citations to articles, but not necessarily links to electronic copies of the articles themselves. To see if the library has electronic access to the article, look for buttons or links in your results list that say "SFX" (click here for more information on SFX). If these aren't available, search the library catalog to see if the library subscribes to the title, in print and/or electronically. (Important: the catalog doesn't contain information about individual articles. Search for the journal title. If an electronic version is available there will be a link to it in the catalog record.) Full-text articles are usually in .pdf format. To read these you need the Adobe Acrobat Reader, which can be downloaded free of charge.

For each of the databases in the subject area lists we have provided a very short description of its contents. Clicking on the link that says More Information will bring up a longer description of the database, as well as any available links to documentation or help files provided by the producer.

To see a complete alphabetical list of available science-related databases, click the "All Databases" button on the left

Accessing Databases from On and Off Campus

While some of the databases are provided free of charge to the general public, most of them are purchased by the library and are restricted to use by members of the University of Chicago community. The primary mode of authentication is through IP addresses, meaning that users on the campus should be able to navigate freely through the resources. If you need to access the licensed databases from off-campus, you will need to go through the proxy server. Instructions for setting up the proxy server can be found here.

Getting Help

General help with searching can be provided by the Crerar reference staff. Contact them by phone during business hours at 2-7715 or by e-mail. For help using the resources of a specific subject area, contact the librarian who is responsible for that area. A list of Crerar librarians and their specialties can be found here.

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