Beilstein [QD251.B4 Reference Room] is a powerful tool for accessing information in all areas of organic chemistry. The goals of this compilation are:
| 1. | to supply condensed, verified and accurate data on the composition, preparation, structure, properties and analysis of all organic compounds which are reported in reliable scientific literature. |
| 2. | give complete references to the original sources, such as journal articles. In order to use Beilstein it is necessary to know in general terms the way it is organized, the conventions used to summarize information, and some basic facts about organic compounds and chemical nomenclature. |
For most practical purposes there are three main ways of searching:
| 1. | direct search of the volumes using the rules of the Beilstein system as explained in the Beilstein Guide [QD251.B43W44 1976 Reference Room]. |
| 2. | indirect search using the various indexes. In most cases the simplest procedure is to use the Molecular Formula Index. |
| 3. | direct search using the reference number (volume + page number) for the compound as found in the Sigma-Aldrich Catalog [TP202.A38 Reference Desk] or in other sources. In many cases this is the simplest and fastest way to access Beilstein's information on a given compound. If a compound is not found in the Aldrich Catalog one can often find a similar compound (similar structural formula) in the catalog and in many cases the required compound will be found near that one in Beilstein. |