SciFinder web is the web version of SciFinder Scholar 2007 (client version).

It has new and enhanced features that speed up your research and workflow. These features allow you to:

• Export a reference from SciFinder web to your EndNote library
• Set an alert for a topic using the Keep Me Posted tool
• Search for additional or similar reactions
• Refine reaction result using Non-participating Functional Groups tool
• Create your own substance template
• Search a substance using CAS number / common chemical name
• Convert your client saved .sfr files to web .akx files using this program.

Unlike SciFinder Scholar 2007, there’s no installation for SciFinder web. You only need to do a one-time registration using your NUS email account.

Click here for the registration details and guides on accessing SciFinder web on and off campus. To learn more about SciFinder web, watch the SciFinder web online tutorial. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions regarding SciFinder web.

Linda Janti Oei
Science Library

Contrary to what many think, there are librarians who love Google.

I, for one, can’t imagine life without it. I use Google several times a day to verify citations, unearth nuggets of information, read reviews and pursue my hobbies. I have colleagues who are such power users of Google that watching them will leave some of us quivering in our shoes. Okay, I exaggerate but you get the idea!

But why do some professors tell you not to rely on Google or Wikipedia? As a first step in your research process, Google—or any other search engine—is fine for filling those little gaps of knowledge. But it is risky to rely on information that you find on the Internet without evaluating it. So what do you need to check? Among other things, you should evaluate a website for its currency, accuracy, objectivity, and authority. Well, google (I love using this as a verb) evaluate websites site:edu and you will find all that you need to know.

There’s another wrinkle in the otherwise perfect picture. Many of us may not be aware that Google and other standard search engines only trawl the surface of the web, but do not retrieve information from what is known as the “deep web”. The deep web contains information from databases and other Internet sources that are either dynamically created or too deep down to be accessed by the standard search engines. Thus, if you rely entirely on search engines, you are missing a lot of good stuff.

In addition, in-depth research for most disciplines entails using different types of sources. Each type of source has its inherent advantages and disadvantages. For example, books may contain information that are not as up-to-date as those from journal articles, due to the lengthier publishing process. Thus, if you cite only from books and websites, there is a high chance that your research is incomplete. Consider using databases to look for relevant journal articles and conference proceedings, and your professor may give you a few brownie points. If the thought of using databases makes you swoon, try Google Scholar for a start, together with the proxy bookmarklet.

But if you’re adventurous and prefer to use a database that NUS Libraries subscribes to, but don’t know how to start, do ask a librarian. Can’t tell a librarian from a regular two-legged being? Just ask for one at the information desk of any of the NUS Libraries. You can also email or tweet us. If you’re too far away from the ivory tower and find it cumbersome to describe your research woes, check out our subject guides to get a headstart before the stampede begins in August.

C J Koh Law Library is known for its vast amount of primary and secondary sources of law.  But little is known about its small treasure trove of legal fiction. The library’s store of older fiction includes books by barrister John Mortimer QC  about the life of Rumpole, better known as Horace Rumpole or Rumpole of the Bailey, an ageing London barrister who defends any and all clients. There is also a series by British County Court Judge Henry Cecil (1902-1976). His works of great comic genius have often highlighted the absurd contradictions in the legal system.

The law library now keeps up-to-date with the writings of famed author John Grisham. His latest legal suspense offering is The Associate. The protagonist in this novel is Kyle McAvoy, who is forced to work as an associate in a top law firm after he is blackmailed with a secret from his past. In his job, he is required to lie, cheat, steal and risk his life.

Scott Turrow’s Innocent, sequel to Presumed Innocent, is the latest legal novel to grace the law library’s shelves. The book continues the story of Rusty Sabich and Tommy Molto who are, once again after 20 years, pitted against each other in a riveting psychological match following the mysterious death of Rusty’s wife.

Interested in the law library’s legal fiction collection? Search the catalogue for titles under your favourite author or browse the shelves under call numbers PR, PS or KB222 on the third storey of the library. Happy reading!

Lee Su-Lin
C J Koh Law Library

中文图书馆创设的“东南亚华人文献数据化”网页，自2006年启用以来，深受研究东南亚华人的学者和一般对历史感兴趣的用户欢迎，到访的人次与日俱增。

截至2010年5月31日为止，已上载到该网页的东南亚华人文献，已多达214种，内容包括新加坡早期的报章《叻报》（1887-1932）、星报（1890-1898）、天南新报（1898-1905）；槟榔屿的珍贵日报《槟城新报》（1895-1941）等10种，曾经风行新马的华文期刊《蕉风》（1955-1999）、百多种华人社团、商团、庙宇、华校的特刊和期刊，以及其他形式的文献如族谱、指南、统计数据、调查报告、个人著述和华人移民文献等。详目请见： http://www.lib.nus.edu.sg/chz/SEAChinese/zynr.html.

2010年5月新上载的文献，共有34种。以下数种较为罕见，欢迎查阅：

– 邱菽园著：《新出千字文》（1902）
– 邱菽园著：《菽园诗集》（1949）
– 李西浪著：《劫灰集》（1946）
–《南洋民党光华诗集》（1950）
–《仰光日报周年纪念特刊》（1927-1930）
–《新加坡宁阳会馆130周年纪念特刊》（1952）
–《新加坡安溪会馆30周年纪念特刊》（1952）
–《马来亚台山会馆联合会纪念特刊》（1948）
–《泛马来亚番禺会馆联合会特刊》（1953）
–《马来亚高州总会纪念特刊》（1955）
–《槟城龙岩会馆22周年暨新厦落成纪念刊》（1952）
–《槟城福州会馆银禧纪念特刊》（1952）
–《槟城东安会馆成立65周年第一期特刊》（1957）
–《马六甲琼州会馆91周年纪念特刊》（1960）
–《新加坡华侨中学师范班毕业纪念刊》（1948-49）
–《新加坡南洋华侨中学校1938级毕业纪念刊》（1938）
–《新加坡官立华义中学高中毕业班特刊》（1957-1959）
–《银河音乐会周年纪念刊（1939，1948）
–《中艺十周年纪念特刊》（1938-1948）
–《中国歌舞剧艺社马来亚旅行公演特刊》（1947）
–《新声合唱团首次演唱会特刊》（1957）

李金生帖文
中文图书馆

NUS Libraries has subscribed to CEIC Data Manager, a database that provides a wealth of statistical data for your research needs.

We have subscribed to the following packages:

• Global Database (details)
• Sector Database (details)
• China Premium Database (details)
• India Premium Database (details)
• Russia Premium Database (details)
• Brazil Premium Database
• Daily Database

Global database
The Global database covers more than 117 countries and over 1.4 million time series and should be your first stop if you are looking for specific national statistics.

China, India Premium Databases
In recent years, research on Asian countries like China and India has intensified. To support work in such areas, we have also subscribed to China Premium Database and India Premium Database as well as other premium databases for the other BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) countries. The China Premium Database has historical data running back to 1949, as well as regional data including city database of 286 prefecture level cities and 2000 counties in selected benchmark indicators. 

Sector, Daily and other Databases
The other databases are also useful, particularly the sector database which contains company data and standardised financial ratios by industry. You can also usually find association level statistics, for instance overall “Monthly Sales of Passenger cars” by all companies in the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

All of the above databases provide standard features that come with statistical databases, including the ability to preview datasets with graphs and export chosen datasets to Excel. Note that due to the cost of the database, only 2 users can access CEIC Data Manager at the same time. So if you are unable to get in, please wait for a while before trying again. If you have any questions, or comments about CEIC Data Manager please feel free to contact me.

Aaron Tay
Resource Librarian
for Economics & Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy

Music Library is delighted to present the musical compositions by these students from the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music: Kittaphan Janbuala, Wu Na and Thatchatham Silsupan. We thank the students for the gifts of their works to the library. We have been very fortunate in receiving the intellectual works of current and former students for our collection and hope that the display of works would encourage other students to share their talents by donating their compositions.

Kittaphan Janbuala
Kittiphan graduated in 2006 from the College of Music, Mahidol University, where he studied under Valeriy Rizayev. In 2004, 2006 and 2008, he participated in the “Young Thai Artist Award Competition” (Music Composition Section) held in Bangkok, Thailand, and was selected for the finalist awards. Recently, he was a finalist in the KL Contemporary Music Festival in 2009 and he was also awarded a scholarship to pursue the Graduate Diploma at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music. Kittiphan’s works include Komposition 5 for Solo Violoncello & Solo Percussion, Composition 6 (7) for Large Ensemble and Resound for Brass Quintet.

Wu Na
Wu Na’s works include Nostalgia for Piano Trio, Diversification for Piano Solo, A Farewell Vocal Song and Impression for String Quartet. Nostalgia for Piano Trio was composed in Spring 2009, when Wu Na was an exchange student at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University. The inspiration of the piece came from her being homesick when she was far from her family and friends. Diversification for Piano Solo has three short movements that are closely related to each other in pitch materials. Wu Na included words which sound like her name as she wanted to use the voice to enhance the magical, peaceful and dreamy feelings of the music in the final movement. The themes from each of the four movements in Impression for String Quartet are related to one another by a motif from the themes of the previous movement. Wu Na’s intention is to explore the many different ways this pair of intervals can generate a theme and counter-theme for the four movements. A Farewell was dedicated to the end of her exchange program at the Peabody Institute. The piece begins with a sense of instability. With the advancement of scales played in the middle section, the piece moved to C sharp major and Wu Na successfully achieved the climax of the piece through the special effects at the end.

Thatchatham
Despite not having any classical music background, Thatchatham decided to become a composer after hearing Arnold Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire during his pre-college studies at the College of Music at the Mahidol University in Bangkok. After graduating with the Best Student Award, he has been participating actively in the local and regional contemporary music scene. He received a scholarship from the Asian Composers’ League (ACL) Hong Kong to attend the Young Composers Programme and he was selected to present his work in a masterclass with Christopher Theofanidis at the Peabody Institute as an exchange student in Fall 2009. Thatchatham’s Transitory Study I is a six-minute piece written for clarinet, violin, cello and piano. It is based on the exploration of the relationship between sound, noise and silence. 

The students’ compositions will be featured at a recital on 30 April while the display of works at the Music Library will be on until 28 May 2010.  If you are inspired by the recital and display and would like to donate your works to the library, do come by and let us know!

We have enhanced our electronic resources collection by adding new titles, including a few water policy related reports. Some resources, such as American Affairs: An American Review and Frontiers in Bioscience are now available in both print and electronic versions. Do note that some of the new resources such as Global Water Intelligence require you to register the first time you access the site.

Here is the list of new resources. Let us know what you think!

1. Frontiers in Bioscience

2. Journal of Earth Science (previously Journal of China University of Geosciences)

3. Environment

4. Nephron: Clinical Practice

5. The Oncologist

6. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment

7. International Journal of Project Organisation & Management

8. Global Water Intelligence

9. Water Desalination Report

10. Water Market India

11. Water Market China 2009

12. Water & Wastewater Utilities of the World

13. ADA Professional Product Review

14. Asian Affairs: An American Review

15. Mathematics Teacher

16. AJNR, American Journal of Neuroradiology

第二次世界大战前编撰出版的日文东南亚资料，是研究这个区域的风土民情，政治文化等方面不可或缺的资料。由于战乱的缘故，这些资料多已散失。经过多年来的妥善保护，中文图书馆存有此类珍贵书籍约95种。为了促进资源共享，本馆乃筛选其中较为稀见的15种，将它们数码化后上传到图书馆网站，让这些资料在互联网上广为流传。

目前可供阅览的数码化资料有《火焔樹》（Kaenju)、 《星港攻略記》（Shingapōru kōryakuki）、《日本人の新発展地南洋》(Nihonjin no shin hattenchi Nan’yō)、《食用野生動植物》(Shokuyō yasei dōshokubutsu)、 《シンガポール概要》(Shingapōru gaiyō)、 《南洋雑記》（Nanyō zakki）、《赤道を行く》（Sekidō o yuku）等七种。

欲阅览上述的数码化资料，可通过中文图书馆战前日文东南亚资料数码化项目网页，点选书名，即可阅览全文。其网址是http://www.lib.nus.edu.sg/jlb/digital/jindexE.html。

除《星港攻略記》和《食用野生動植物》外， 其他资料都提供了其他文种资料中较少涉及的战前东南亚日本人社群的概况，是这个研究领域不可多得的资料。

值得一提的是，《火焔樹》（1944）、《食用野生動植物》（1944）、 《シンガポール概要》（1923）、 《南洋雑記》（1926）及 《赤道を行く》（1939）等都是在新加坡出版的珍稀资料。

这数码化项目预计将陆续将其余八种资料上载到网页上，希望能为战前的东南亚研究贡献一点绵力。

EndNote X3, the latest version of the reference management software, has been available to NUS staff and students via the Software Catalogue since September 2009. For a guide to installing and using EndNote, check out  http://www.lib.nus.edu.sg/lion/e/endnoteguide.html.

Have you been unable to locate certain output or journal citation styles in EndNote?

To facilitate faster start-up, the typical installation for EndNote X3 was designed to install only the 100 most popular output styles, connection files and filters. If you installed EndNote X3 between September to December last year, you will be unable to find many output styles and library catalogue connections.

To resolve this issue, the NUS Libraries EndNote Team and Computer Centre worked with Thomson-Reuters, the software producer. From this month, typical installation (for Windows only) now installs all connections/output styles/filters (including connection to LINC) by default. If you are unable to locate output styles in your EndNote X3 installed before January 2010, do re-install via the Computer Centre Software Catalogue. Alternatively, Windows and Mac users can download additional journal citation styles as well as suggest new styles to be created in future EndNote updates by visiting http://www.endnote.com/support/enstyles.asp.

For enquiries on installation via Software Catalogue, including the transfer of licenses from one computer to another, please contact IT Care.

Training Sessions for EndNote

Do look out for the upcoming series of workshops conducted by NUS librarians in February. Workshop schedules will be announced via the NUS Libraries’ portal news. A trainer from Thomson-Reuters will also be conducting on-site training in March. This is organized by the Centre for Development of Teaching and Learning. Details will be announced in February.

Read the latest medical news by some of the medical world’s leading practioners. The blogs are sorted by category so you can zoom in on topics that interest you right away. Alternatively you can also check out the group blogs which focus on specific topics.

The podcasts allow you to keep track of all things medical wherever you may be. A wide range of issues are covered and sorted by category. There is also an archive of previous podcasts that goes back to 2006.

BMJ’s blogs and podcasts give you bite-sized medical news and opinions wherever you are, whenever you like.