hierarchical links from an individual researcher to their PhD supervisor,
chemists will be able to trace their chemical heritage through history to the
forefathers of modern chemistry. Chemistry Connections will map how great
scientists have transferred their findings and knowledge to their successors
perpetuating the chemical sciences. With the International Year of
Chemistry taking place in 2011, this project is an ideal opportunity to
preserve and promote the story of chemistry.
Chemistry Connections will be constructed from a series of records each
representing an individual researcher. The database will be hosted by
MyRSC, the RSC’s online professional networking tool. Whilst
Chemistry
Connections will be accessible to anyone interested in the history of
chemistry, only those who are members of MyRSC will be able to create and
edit records. Connecting the database to MyRSC will also enable the
collected records to serve an additional purpose as a focused networking
tool. In the longer term, we envisage that Chemistry Connections will
provide a useful resource for aspiring scientists, encouraging career
development and further education.
To ensure Chemistry Connections is a success from the start we wish to
establish a core of key chemists to include on the database. We are eager to
involve the Historical Group at this early stage in the project and will be
liaising with your Chairman, Professor Dronsfield, to identify how this can
best be achieved. Whilst identifying important chemists such as those who
have been awarded Nobel prizes can be relatively simple, we are also keen
to ensure our project has as wide a range of chemists represented as possible.
For each Chemistry Connections record, we propose to include the following
information:
• Full name
• Year of birth and death (if applicable)
• PhD supervisor (plus year of qualification)
• Institution
• PhD students (if applicable)
• Short biographical information (if available)
At this early stage, if you would like further details of the project, or have
suggestions of chemists we should include, please contact Sophie Boldon
(boldons@rsc.org).
To register for a free account with MyRSC, visit: http://my.rsc.org
Sophie Boldon
Project Manager
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Free On-line Access to the RSC’s Journal Archives (pre-
1939)
New members of the Historical Group will be interested to know that they
can obtain free on-line access to the RSC’s Journal Archives before 1939.
This information appeared in our last newsletter, but is being repeated for all
our new members and for anyone who missed it last August. The login name
and login password may be obtained by emailing John Hudson, our
Membership Secretary (johnhudson25@hotmail.com).
From RSC Publishing (originally sent May 2008)
‘As you are no doubt aware, the Historical Group Committee has for some
time been in negotiation with RSC Publishing to see how its RSC members
might gain access to parts of the RSC journals archive, without the need for
you to pay document delivery fees. I am pleased to confirm that agreement
has been reached, which allows RSC members free access to full text articles
in the archive published between 1841 and 1939. Instructions on how to
access an article are detailed below. If you have any difficulties with the
service please email library@rsc.org, indicating you are a member of the
Historical Group. Archive articles from 1940 and beyond are available for
the member-reduced fee of £5.
Please note that access to articles is for non-commercial fair use only; by
“fair” we mean that extensive article downloading is forbidden. Access
levels are monitored and any abuse may result in the service being
withdrawn temporarily. However, it is hoped that this initiative helps group
members in their work. If you have any feedback, please let me or your
Chair – Alan Dronsfield – know what you think of the new service.
To gain access:
First, go to the RSC site listing available archive titles:
http://www.rsc.org/Publishing/Journals/DigitalArchive/available.asp
Click on the title of the journal you wish to view. Remember that only
journals up to 1939 are available, free, to Historical Group members.
Fill in the details in the box “Find a previous issue” and click on “Go”
Click on an article in the “Contents list”
Click on “Journals archive purchasers” > PDF
The Log-in screen will pop up. Please fill in the details (login name:
XXXXXX; login password: xxxxxxx) requested. These may change from
time to time; if this is the case you will be notified. If your login details are
not recognised, please contact library@rsc.org for updates.
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