Comparison of structure searching between SciFinder Scholar and MDL CrossFire Commander

CINF 38

Bing Wang, bing.wang@library.gatech.edu, Library and Information Center, Georgia Institute of Technology, 704 Cherry Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30332
Among the over two hundred databases to which the Georgia Tech Libraries subscribe, only SciFinder Scholar and MDL CrossFire Commander have the structure searching feature. SciFinder Scholar and MDL CrossFire Commander are two proprietary clients that provide web access to Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) databases and Beilstein/Gmelin databases respectively. This paper will compare both clients based on query build-up, structure editor tool, result navigation, and result management through demonstration of different searching scenarios. The relative importance of the advantages and disadvantages of the two databases will vary depending on information needs. Additionally, online resources are included to help users in conducting structure searches in SciFinder Scholar and MDL CrossFire Commander.