SciFinderⁿ have recently introduced some enhancements that we think many of you will find useful in your studies and research.

View similar reactions from a search result:

A single click within a reaction search result now allows you to easily explore similar reactions. Based on your preference, you can display results that vary in scope related to the specific reaction centre.

·       Broad results will retrieve reactions sharing only a reaction centre.

·       Medium results will display those that share a reaction centre and adjacent atoms.

·       Narrow results will show those that share a reaction centre and extended atoms and bonds.

Additional enhancements:

·       Evidence displayed in retrosynthesis — View critical evidence directly in a retrosynthesis plan to review conditions of each step.

·       Expanded substance experimental properties — Access additional properties, including transition temperatures, fluid properties, dissociation constants, and more.

·       Solvent information in experimental spectra — View solvent information directly in the spectra table display and understand those of interest.

·       Sort suppliers by price — Utilize pricing information when sorting a list of potential vendors.

More information about the enhancements can be found here.

SciFinderⁿ isn’t just for Chemistry students, it also covers other scientific literature such as engineering, medicine, and materials. Also, biomedical literature and new sequence searching is particularly relevant to biologists.

If you are new to SciFinderⁿ you will need create a username and password by visiting this link.

As always, we would love to hear any feedback you may have about the resource by using the ‘Reply’ below or if you would like assistance, please Ask the Library 

Negotiations between Jisc (on behalf of UK Universities) and Springer Nature are on-going. Springer Nature is one of the world’s largest academic publishers. UK Universities currently have access to ‘Springer Compact’ agreement, a transitional agreement which provides UK researchers with read access to 2,500 journals and open access publishing rights in 1,900 journals. 

Springer Compact was one of the earliest transitional agreements negotiated by the sector in 2015. In the years since its inception, the scholarly communications landscape has evolved considerably and so too have the sector’s requirements.

The academic community are dismayed at the high costs Springer Nature are proposing in relation to the read and publish rights in their journals, which are perceived as being disproportionate and exclusionary. The sector, working with Jisc, is seeking a new deal that will encompass all the journals in the Springer Nature portfolio whilst also reducing and constraining costs.

Our subscription to Springer Nature expired at the end of 2022 and we are currently in a period of grace access until 1^st March 2023. To date proposals from Springer Nature have fallen short of sector requirements. The coming weeks will be key to securing a new agreement, however there is a possibility that no agreement will be reached and the current UK universities agreement with Springer Nature may come to an end on 1^stMarch 2023. 

What happens next?

Negotiations through Jisc will continue and we will send you regular updates as the situation changes.

In the event of a subscription cancellation most requirements for journal access will be satisfied through post cancellation access agreements or through articles which are open access. If the content you require is unavailable in this way, you can request material for research or teaching by contacting Library Services Acquisitions team. 

What are my options if I hit a paywall and am asked to pay for content?

Content retained through post cancellation access and open access content will continue to be available to you.  Use Discover to check access and availability. 

If the article you require is unavailable, you have several options. 

1. If the article is required for research or private study, request a copy via the interlibrary lending request service.

2. If the article is required for teaching or to share with students, contact the Acquisitions team to ask about obtaining a copyright-cleared version to share legally with students. 
3. Contact the author. Many publishers allow authors to share their own articles responsibly and authors are often willing to share their final manuscript. Look out for the ‘contact the author’ option on the article home page. 

How will a no-deal impact my teaching?

We will retain access to Springer Nature backfiles from 2016 – 2022 for the majority of journal titles and to open access content. 

Where there are links to Springer Nature articles in your reading lists to which we no longer have access ‘no full text online’ will be displayed. 

If you feel your reading list may be affected by this, please contact your Academic Engagement Librarian to discuss your options. 

Can I upload a PDF to Canvas?

It is good practice to link to the original article from Canvas. If this isn’t possible contact the Acquisitions team to ask about obtaining a copyright-cleared version to share legally with students.

Can I request an article for teaching via ILL?

The interlibrary lending request service can be used to obtain material for research or private study and cannot be used to obtain material which is intended to be shared with others, such as students. Contact the Acquisitions team to ask about obtaining a copyright-cleared version to share legally with students.

Can I still publish with Springer Nature?

Yes, you can still publish with Springer Nature. Journals do not consider institutional subscription status when selecting articles for publication. 

Can I make my article Open Access?

Authors should follow the green Open Access route and make a copy of their Author Accepted Manuscript available in the LJMU repository. 

Authors with any queries or concerns related to publishing should speak to the Library Researcher Engagement team. UKRI and Wellcome funded authors in particular, should speak to this team for advice on rights retention and funder compliance. 

What should I do if my research/teaching curriculum relies on access to a particular springer nature journal?

In the event of a no deal scenario, LJMU will retain access post-cancellation access to Springer Nature backfiles from 2016 – 2022 for the majority of journal titles and to articles which are open access. If the content you require is unavailable in this way, you can request material for research or teaching by contacting the Acquisitions team. 

Where can I get more information on the negotiations?

For further information please see the Jisc website or contact Maria Follett, Library Services. Email. m.l.follett@ljmu.ac.uk

The platform provides access to a number of state-of-the-art chemistry databases, with plans to extend its coverage into the wider areas of physical sciences.

Specific resources include:

ACD/I-Lab: an online tool which features predictions and databases of physical-chemical properties and NMR spectral information

Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) from CCDC: a collection of over 600,000 small-molecule organic and organometallic crystal structures that can be visualised and downloaded

Crystalworks: provides access to the wide range of crystallographic structural data made available by the Physical Science Data-science Service

DETHERM: one of the worlds largest thermophysical databases containing data for pure compounds and mixtures

Inorganic Crystal Structure Database (ICSD): the world’s largest database for completely identified inorganic crystal structures

Chemical Availability Search: search the directories of many suppliers to source chemicals for your experiments and research

To access PSDS:

Go to Physical Sciences Data-science Service on Databases A-Z and follow the link from there, or search for it in Discover, or go directly to: https://www.psds.ac.uk/.

Click on ‘Log in’, search for Liverpool John Moores University, then login with your LJMU username (username@ljmu.ac.uk) and password. New users will need to enter some additional information to register for the resource. You will only be asked for this information the first time you log in.

Learn how to add books, eBooks, journal articles and web pages, plus notes, tags and filters too. Academic Liaison Librarians will help you through the process of creating a dynamic reading list that your students will love!

Register at one of our workshops below:

Monday 4^th November  11-12pm IM Marsh Campus: C112

Monday 4^th November 2-3pm  Byrom Street: Cherie Booth Building  BS/106/PC LAB

Tuesday 5^th November 11-12pm John Foster Building JF/107E/118/IT

Wednesday 6^th November 11-12pm  Redmond Building: RB/118/IT

Thursday 7^th November 11-12pm Byrom Street: Cherie Booth Building  BS/106/PC LAB

Thursday 7^th November 2-3pm Tithebarn Street: TB/114 IT Suite

If you cannot attend a workshop then please contact your Academic Liaison Librarian for one-to-one guidance, to book a workshop for your team or to ask a question.

Further information including a user guide is available on the Library Services Reading List web page.

Monday 25^th February, 10-2pm, Careers Zone, James Parsons Building (Ground Floor)

Tuesday 26^th February, 10-2pm, Redmond Building (Ground Floor)

Our interactive Reading lists are:

• dynamic and effective
• quick and easy to use
• accessible via Canvas anytime, anywhere
• easy to personalise with tags / notes
• directly related to teaching and assessment
• clear to read (see below)

“The reading list system easily connects students to the module content, plus e-books are readily available and supports students as they work on their assessments. It also allows me to bring the books up in class to direct students to the key readings.” (Dr Nicholas Wise, Senior Lecturer, EHC)

 “In essence it is a communication tool that allows academics and librarians to support learners effectively.” (Dr. Clare Milsom, Director of Teaching and Learning Academy.)

 Academic Liaison Librarians will be on hand at the Roadshows to demonstrate the service and answer your questions.

Further information is available on the Library Services Reading List web page.

Browzine – read e-journals from different publishers in one simple interface. Download the app from Apple, GooglePlay or Amazon and save articles to your bookshelf.

PressReader – read the most recent 3 months of news from around the world. It is necessary to re-authenticate on-campus after 7 days. Download the app from Apple, GooglePlay or Amazon

Visible Body – Visual step-by-step introduction to the human body. Install the app from on-campus and it’ll work off-campus for 150 days after installation. Download the app from GooglePlay or Apple 

For more details and guidance on downloading the apps contact your Academic Librarian. or see the gDatabases A-Zuidance documents on Databases A-Z.

Happy Xmas

• From 22nd June access to Rebus:List will not be available
• Your current reading lists, including notes and tags, will migrate across to the new system
• New guidance materials will be created to help you use the new system
• Reading list update sessions will be delivered to help you make the most of the new features
• Provisional “Go Live” date is Monday 16th July, following a test period by Library staff. We will confirm the launch by email and social media

If you have any queries or concerns about the forthcoming upgrade please don’t hesitate to contact your Academic Liaison Librarian or use the Helpdesk https://www.ljmu.ac.uk/microsites/library/about-ljmu-libraries/contact-us

If you want to find out more or have a sneak preview come and see us on the 5th Floor at the Teaching and Learning Conference!

Search, browse and reading articles should still be available, but some of the more advanced functionality may not.

Taylor & Francis apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.