Welcome to the course guide for CHEM 4670, where you can learn about the best resources at the UNT Libraries for your chemistry research and how to cite the sources you find. I'm the chemistry librarian, Erin O'Toole; please feel free to contact me anytime with your questions about research and the Libraries. Start off your research by reading below about the types of resources we offer and then move on to the tabs at the top of the screen.

Reference Sources, such as encyclopedias, handbooks and dictionaries, are a good place to start your research because they provide:

• background on a topic 
• historical research
• potential keywords for your catalog and database searches

Books in both print and electronic format provide:

• in-depth coverage of a topic, broad in scope and usually historical
• information that is two to three years old by the publication date
• indexes where you can check if the book contains your topic

Articles in both print and electronic format provide: 

• the most current source of peer-reviewed information
• focused research, narrow in scope
• literature reviews

Websites must be evaluated for credibility, authority and accuracy before using and provide:

• the most current information on a topic (but not necessarily peer-reviewed)
• obscure, hard-to-find information

Many instructors require you to use peer-reviewed sources for your papers and projects, but what does that mean?

• Peer review is the process of having experts in a field review the quality of an article or book before it is published
• Most articles in scholarly and academic journals are peer-reviewed
• Books published by university or academic presses are peer-reviewed

Most databases allow you to limit your search to peer-reviewed articles. Here are two examples:

Need help? Then use the Libraries' Ask Us service. Get help from real people face-to-face, by phone, or by email.