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SciFinder Scholar Guide

Shapiro Science Library

SciFinder Scholar Guide

SciFinder Scholar access to Chemical Abstracts provides a powerful interface, including chemical structure & reaction and forward cited-reference searches, to cross-search select Chemical Abstracts databases and Medline. It uses special non-web software. Software installations are limited to current UM faculty, students and staff.

Connecting to SciFinder Scholar

Ways to connect to SciFinder Scholar
Method or Platform
Off-campus (Remote) Access?
On-campus Access?

On UM-Library Computers?

Direct links to full-text?
Windows (full software)
No
Yes
No
Yes
Macintosh OSX (full software)
No
Yes
No
Yes
Terminal Services (for either Windows or Mac-OSX)
Yes
Yes
Yes
No

Install full SciFinder Scholar software (Win), for current UM affiliates only
Step #
Do This
1.
Check the hardware/system requirements. Note: must have administrator rights on the computer to install.
2.
Download (save) the Scholar 2007 installer (win)
3.
Download (save) the site preferences file (win)
4.

Run the installer. If you already have a previous version, install the new version in the same location as the old one.

5.
Answer NO when installer asks "Do you have a disk labelled Custom Site Files?"
6.
After installation is completed, copy the site preferences file (site.prf) to the folder where Scholar was installed (usually named SFSCHLR). Replace any existing site.prf file

Install full SciFinder Scholar software (Mac), for current UM affiliates only
Step #
Do This
1.
Check the hardware/system requirements. Note: must have administrator rights on the computer to install.
2.
Download (save) the sfs2007amac.zip installer file.
3.
Double-click on sfs2007amac.zip to install the application.
4.
Move SciFinder Scholar from its temporary location to the Applications folder.
5.
Optional: Make a shortcut to Scholar and move the shortcut to the Desktop or Dock.

UM Library Terminal Services

  • Use software built-in to Windows XP (or available for other platforms) for authenticated access to SciFinder Scholar from a secure library server. Link to SciFinder Scholar via UM Library Terminal Services. The library runs Scholar on a secure server and delivers it to your computer using Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection software. No need to annually update software - the library does it for you.

Remote Access.

How do I get remote (off-campus) access to SciFinder Scholar?

On UM Library Computers

How do I access SciFinder Scholar on in-library computers?

TS and full versions together?

Can I install both the Terminal Services and full Scholar software versions on the same computer?

  • YES. This may be useful if you have a laptop that is used both on the campus network and at home.

Use a different browser on the Mac?

I'd like to use a browser other than Safari as the default for linking to fulltext.

Changing your SciFinder Scholar default browser
Step #
Do This
1.
Open SciFinder Scholar
2.
In the toolbar, click on the Tools menu and select "Edit Preferences"
3.
Select the Programs tab of the Preference Editor window.
4.

Click to highlight the "Internet Document" entry, then click the "Edit..." button.
5.
Click the "Browse..." button in the Edit Program window and select "Applications" from the left panel.
6.
Select your preferred Internet browser from the Applications list and click the "Select" button.
7.
Click the "OK" button in both the Edit Program window and the Preference Editor window.

Failure to connect?

SciFinder Scholar fails to connect on my computer - What do I do?

  • If you are off-campus, you must use the UM Library Terminal Services version.
  • Delete the existing site.prf file (Windows) and download it again. Move the new site.prf file to the main SciFinder Scholar folder (probably called SFSCHLR) and try again. If there is still a problem, repeat using a different web-browser for the download.
  • Check your computer's firewall settings to be sure it allows Scholar access to the internet. 

Search Help & Tutorials

Download References

How do I download search results into Refworks or Endnote?

  • See the Citation Management page from the KNC for general information. Choose the Tagged Format option when saving records from SciFinder Scholar. There is a Chemical Abstracts license limit on the number of records that may be downloaded.

Full-text Links?

Do the full-text links in the Terminal Services version work?

  • NO. The full-text links (a computer icon in the results) do not work in the Terminal Services version of SciFinder Scholar. This is due to technical and security restrictions on the Library's Terminal Services server.

Version Number:

  • Scifinder Scholar 2007 software was released to campus June 29, 2007. The library's Terminal Services server was upgraded to the 2007 version on July 10, 2007.

Need more info?

Have problems, questions or need additional search help?

  • Email the University of Michigan SciFinder Scholar Site Administrator samarti@umich.edu.
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