Abstract

Databases may be considered a research tool for the chemical industry whether for researchers, applications engineers, or marketing or legal personnel. Growth in the dynamic database industry is discussed in terms of numbers of database records, online searches, databases, database producers, and database vendors. Databases may be classified by form of data representation, subject categories, medium of distribution, geographic origin, or status of the producer or vendor. Online connections to databases may involve terminals or personal computers. Alternatively, some databases are available on CD-ROM.

Commercially available databases in the fields of chemistry, biochemistry and biophysics, geochemistry and mineralogy, biology and medicine, engineering, mathematics, and physics, and in claims and patents are given.