A Careers in Chemical Information Workshop Bruce Slutsky Libraty-Science Section, St. John's University, Grand Central and Utopia Parkways, Jamaica, NY 11439 Chemistry students a t all levels often receive either poor or no career guidance. They are unaware of career options and the educational pathways needed t o attain a position in the field. University professors may not be aware of all career options available to chemists. Practicing laboratory chemists who desire a career change are also unaware of alternatives. Can students or practicing professionals receive Droner career counseline? he field of chemical infoimation is small compared to other snecialties. The American Chemical Societv Division of chemical Information has only about 1300 members out of over 135,000 in the full society. A Careers in Chemical Information Workshop was organized by the Division and the Citv Universitv of New York Chemistry Doctoral Program td provide caieer guidance by practitioners in the field. The aims were t o advise participants of the various career options within the field and to suggest possible employers. This event was held on November 1, 1989, as a National Chemistrv Week event. This naner . . describes the workshoo in detail. Hopefully, it will serve as a prototype for seminars to be eiven bv other suecialized divisions. The sneakers and topics were:
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Barbara Lawrence of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics-Keynote address and overview of the field. Bruce Slutsky of the New York Public Library Science and Technology Research Center-Careers in ScientificLibrarianship Robert Badger of Springer-Verlag-Writing, publishing, and editing Louis Torre of Atoehem North America-Careers in industrial information centers Bonnie Lawlar of the Institute for Scientific Information-Careers in database production and publishing Robert Manfre of American Cyanamid-Working with internal databases Stuart Kaback of Exxon-Patent seamhine .in an industrial environment Gerald Vander Stouw of Chemical Abstracts Senice-Research at Chemical Abstracts Service Keynote Address-Barbara Lawrence Barbara Lawrence was chosen as the keynote speaker. because she held several positions in organizations using and supplying information. For seven years Lawrence has been employed by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) where she manages scientific information services. The AIAA employs librarians and scientists with technical and language skills for reference work, abstracting, indexing, document delivery, acquisitions, and demonsiration and training of products. Lawrence portrayed the information specialist as a bridge between the information and its users. She described the
profession as problem solving and creative and emphasized that the information specialist must know the details of his/ her user base. I t is quite challenging since there are always new skills to learn. .iohs in the tiildtake advantage of on& technical knowledge combined with analyrical skills. The 'Masters in Librarv Science IMLSI is not an absolute requirement to attaik a position. ~he'technicalbackground is more important. Careers in Scientific Librarlanshlp-Bruce Slutsky Bruce Slutsky is Science Reference Librarian for the Science and Technology Research Center of The New York Public Library. I t collects at a research level and serves business researchers, students, professors, and the general public. The science reference librarian must know how to extract information from his collection. When a patron poses a question, the librarian must determine whether the information mav be found in a textbook. eeneral reference source.. me. ciafized reference source, ori&rnal paper. Thus, he or she must be a snecialist in both traditional hard conv and computerized irkormation sources held by his respec& library. The New York Public Librarv cullects extensivelv in a wide variety of the physical sciencis including chemistiy, physics, engineering, comuuter science, and geology. Slutsky stated that, although hLdoes not have an educaiional background in the other sciences, he is stillobligated to provide reference service in them. Many academii libraries have separate chemistry departments. The science librarian must know what to add to the collection. The scientific literature is growing exponentially with new books and periodicals published to satisfy researchers in new specialties. Since it is impossible for any library to keep un with this information exnlosion, it is difficult to acquire materials needed to satisfy user population. This concept is known as collection management and development. Slutsky discussed the following requisites to become a science librarian:
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(1) An MLS is required for many positions in public, academic, and
special libraries. deeree in the ~hvsical . . sciences is useful but not an absolute requmement.Science lihrarians without sclcncedcgreesare usually effective t ~ uften t nerd more time to become pruficient in more specialized sources. (3) The most essential requirement is the ability to communicate effectively and diplomatically with people. Librarians serve a wide range of people with different information needs, determine what a user requires, and direct himher to the information sources. Since many patrons do not know how to use a 12) ..A
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lihrary, this can he a difficult task requiring well-developed interpersonal skills. Careers in Scientific Publlshing-Robert
Badger
Robert Badger is Manager of Electronic Media for Springer-Verlae. Since the late 1960's the field of scientific oublishing has :hanged as a result of the technology making information available in electronic form. he reoorted. New technologies created more opportunities for those already in the field and will open doors for newcomers. Elsevier, John Wiley & Sons, Pergamon, Blackwell Scientific, and Springer were identified as scientific, technical, and medical publishers who regularly hire chemists, and certainly many more similar organizations who employ personnel - ~-~~~ with chemistw backmounds exist. Since orofessionals often relocate, there are usually openings for qualified oeode. Technical oersonnel in ~uhlishinehouses are olaced In Ather editorial,'marketing, or produczon groups. hemists are very often hired as copy editors who rewrite manuscripts. They may also work as acquisition editors, solely responsible for bringing manuscripts to the house. For example, if a new organic chemistry textbook is needed, the acquisitions editor will look for prospective authors and eventually sign a contract with one. Many freelance editorial positions are also available. The transition to electronic publishing also created a need for people in marketing.
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tising copy. Assistance is needed to write articles and speeches for eomosnv executives. (4) ~ourndh3o~k Acquisition and Selection-Not all chemistry journals and books can be indexed in IS1 publications. Professionals decide what is to be indexed. (5) Publisher relations-IS1 receives many books and journals free of charge and wishes to maintain cordial relationships with publishers. In addition, copyright law for document delivery must also be monitored. 16) SalesIMarketinelTrainine-Technical skills are needed to understnnd the print and elertnmir pnrducrs. Expmise is ncrdcd t o drmmrtrate prducti tu potential users. A n MB.4 is useful for direct e n t r y to a career in marketing technical puhlienrions. ~
Working with internal Databases-Robert
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Manfre
so much technical information now accessible from computers, it is necessary for an informationspecialist to have an aptitude for computers and to feel comfortable using them. (3) Communications-Information specialists at all levels communicate verbally and in writing with a wide variety of people within an organization. (4) Careers--Torre stressed that information specialists must he career oriented and promotahle.
At the Agricultural Research Division of American Cyanamid Robert Manfre is with the Chemical Discovery Department. The Registration Group within that department maintains a database of internalinformation on over 300,000 substances to be tested as herbicides, insecticides, and animal ~roducts. In his current position as coordinator of computer applications for the Chemical Discovery Department Manfre trains end user chemists to search public online systems and the internal database. Both the Questel DARC system and CAS Online are used to search for references to substances in the scientific literature. He teaches chemists to use front-end software to upload search strategies and to download search results. STN Express and ChemLink are examples of such software packages. Manfre described a number of software packages used availahle~from with internal databases. The MACCS svstem.,~ - - ~ - - Molecular Design, Ltd., is a very popular software package used by pharmaceutical and agricultural research companies to store and retrieve information about chemical compounds. REACCS is a similar system for storing and retrieving information about chemical reactions. Molecular Design also developed a PC oroeram called CbemTalk Plus which allows searchers to use M ~ C to S search internal databases for structures. The same structure auerv can then be used to search public databases offered bv chemical Abstracts Ser\.ice. ChemBase is a version of MACCS suitable for personal computers. ChemText is a word processing for chemists. Manfre concluded bv discussine skills and attitudes necessary to become a chemical information specialist. He concurred with Torre's assertions that chemists must he enthusiastic about information science, computer literate, and career oriented.
Careers in Database Production and Publishing-Bonnie Lawlor
Patient Searching in An industrial Envlronment-Stuart Kaback
Bonnie Lawlor is Executive Vice President of the Database Publishing Division of the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI), a publisher of secondary scientific information. Its oroducts include numerous mint and electronic publications such as Current contenis, Index Chemicus, Science Citation Index, and Current Chemical Reactions. Organic chemists scan the literature for references to novel substances for inclusion in Index Chemicus or for new reactions to be included in Current Chemical Reactions. They are also involved in computer programming,. proofreading, and editing. There are several career paths within IS1 for chemists. A library science degree or laboratory experience is not required.
Stuart Kaback is Senior Research Associate in the Information Research and Analysis Unit of Exxon. He defined a patent as a n incentive the government gives to an inventor to disclose his findings for the long-term benefit of society. In exchange the inventor is given the right to exclude anyone else from us in^ that new technolow for a limited amount of timc. This usially ranges from 15;o 20 years depending on the country. A patent will he granted if the invention is truly new, not obvi&s, and useful. Much information found in patents is not available from any other source. Even when the information is published elsewhere patents tend to be published more quickly than any corresponding journal literature. Kaback described various career opportunities in patents.
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Careers in lndustrlal information Centers-Louis
Torre
Louis Torre is Manager of the Information Center a t Atochem North America. a manufacturer of soecialtv chemicals. He discussed in detail what skills are necessary'to enter the field of chemical information. and described the four C's: Chemistry, Coinputers, Communication, and Careers. (1)
Chemistry-It is essential that the information specialist understand the language of chemistry, chemiral nommrlature. chemical structures,physical properties, and the scientific literature. When Torre hires a professional for his group, he looks for at least a bachelor's degree in science, preferably in chemistry. Previous laboratory experience or an MIS is helpful hut not
(2) Computers-With
(1) New Product Development--The creation of ISI's Chemical Reaction Database is an example of a product based on a new
technology. (2) Systems DevelopmenLExpertise is needed to develop comas well as maintain software related to produc~ u t e products r tion of chemical products. (3) Editorid-IS1 employs writers of technical manuals and sdver44
Journal of Chemical Education
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(1) The patent searcher must find the informationneeded to deter-
mine whether the invention is novel. He or she often participates in infringement and validity studies. The research group must be advised of the state of the art in a specific area. The patent searcher looks for technology trends and patent activity of competitors.
(2) The patent liaison bridges the gap between the scientist and the
Lederle, and Upjohn. Investigations into these problems are also done by university professors. When Vander Stouw hires a orofessional. he looks for experience in the application of Eomputers tb chemical information. A backeround in artificial intellieence or exoert systems is quite useful. Although many information specialists at Chemical Ahtracts Service hold doctorates, that degree is not a requirement. Students who want to enter the field were advised to look for professors who are doing research in computers and chemical structures.
patent attorney. He or she helps researchers identify and represent patentable inventions in their work. (3) The patent agent or patent attorney prepares the patent application, which is the legal document that will he the basis for the issue of a patent. A patent agent may defend the application in the Unitedstates Patent Office, hut an attorney is needed ifthe matter ie brought to court. Opportunities for attorneys are greater than those for an agent at the expense of a far more rigorous course of training. An attorney must complete law school and pass the bar examination. Kaback finished by saying that patent searching is challenging and requires a person with good communication skills. Previous laboratory experience is quite useful for newcomers to the field since it is essential that patent searchers have a feel for their industry.
Concluslons A career in chemical information is a good alternative for chemists not interested in laboratory work or teaching. An educational background in chemistry is almost essential for entry to the field while formal training in library science or prer.ious laboratory experience is recommended. When one enters a orofession he or she ioins the staff and becomes a student o i a n invisible college. All professionals learn from their colleaeues. The Careers in Chemical Information Workshop was= good exampleof the workingsof the invisible colleee. T h e oarticioants, who were students and chemists wanting a career change, learned from practitionersin the field. They are qualified togive career guidance. I suggest that other local sections and specialized divisions of the American Chemical Society hold similar workshops. Universities should invite chemists representing different industries and diverse job functions to advise students.
Research at Chemlcal Absiracis Servlce-Gerald Vander stouw Gerald Vander Stouw is a Projects Manager in the Information Systems Division. The goals of his department are to obtain knowledge that leads to easier and more effective access to information by customers and to find better methods to build databases. He briefly described the following research problems: (1) Methods for storing and retrieving specific substances and
classes of suhstances. (2) Techniques for storing and retrieving three-dimensional repre-
sentations of structures. (3) The application of artificial intelligence and expert systems to chemical information. (4) The uses of CD-ROM and hypertext. (5) The generation of chemical names from structural information. (6) Automatic extraction of data from primary journals.
Acknowledgment T h e author would like to thank David Johnson of Exxon and David Saari of American Cyanamid for assisting in the olannine of this event. He would also like to thank Aviedor k o n n a i d Samuel Wilen of the City University of New f o r k for allowing the American Chemical Societv to use a lecture ha11 for the-workshop.
Other organizations that do research in chemical information include Molecular Design, ISI, the Beilstein Institute,
Organic Synthesis and Computers: An Opportunity To Study an Unusual Specialty Since there traditionallv . ~has ~ . ~ .been ~ such -~~ a small overlan . between areanic svnthesis and comouters. interested students often do not know where to go to ~ a d u a t eschool to pursue such studies. At Brandem University ruch a specialty exists. concerned with the logic of synthesis design and its computer implementation. Some indication of work to dace may be found in Accounts o/ Chern~eolResearch [19R6,91, 2741; Purr and Apphed Chemi,rr> 11988, 60, 15631: Journal of Interested students should apply to James B. Hendrickson, Chemical Information and Computer Science [1989,29,137]. Department of Chemistry, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02254-9110;Bitnet: HENDRICKSON@BRANDEIS. ~
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