LETTERS Sir: With reference to the editorial “What to Retrieve?” in the November 1966 issue of 1&EC Monthly 1 would like to make the following comments. First, 1 also agree with Dr. Goudsmit that the problem of the increasing amount of literature is evaluation. One cannot escape the impression that the proportional increase in the number of high quality papers is considerably less than that of the total number of papers in “scientific” journals. One major problem appears to be that the evaluation is not done extensively enough by referees and the editors of the journals. The first things to retrieve are the papers on the specific item of interest, and for this many research work. ers nowadays lean heavily on the capabilities of the information scientist whose contents description of papers and reports has been registered in an information retrieval system. The required keyword indexing is often hampered by illselected titles and synopses. Second, for wider coverage, the latest critical review is retrieved. As such, some of the annual items in I&EC are failing and should rather be called bibliographies. A sample sentence may illustrate this: “Various ion exchange equilibrium studies on carboxylic cation exchange resins have been made by Gartner and Giesemann (194,Gustafson and Lirio (23B), Lindenbaum and Boyd (32B), Libinson (3IB), Miller, Bernstein, and Gregor (354, and Tolmachov, Lomako, and Klynchareva (43B)” and so on and on. The reader still does not know what these authors (on whose names such a lot of valuable text space is wasted) achieved, concluded, derived, or failed to do. A well prepared keyword index to each of the papers, and even a KWiC index, would inform far better than the review example given above. I think, though, that your readers would prefer the critical evaluating reviews which were recommended in the editorial. W. G. B. Mandersloot Pretoria, South Africa
LIGNIN STRUCTURE AND REACTIONS ADVANCES IN CHEMISTRY SERIES NO. 59 Surveys the past 10 years’ research on lignin. In this period quinonemethides emerged as the most important reactive intermediate in lignin formation. The current presentation of lignin structure is oversimplified ; the main features of the structural concept are sharper than ever, and new fine details are added. Seventeen papers including a survey of lignin constitution by Karl Freudenberg, to whom the book is dedicated. $8.00 postpaid in U. S.
267 pages with index cloth bound (1966) and Canada; plus 20 cents foreign and PUAS.
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Other book in ADVANCES IN CHEMISTRY SERIES on organic, polymer, and coating chemistry include: No. 52 Elastomer Stereospecific Polymerization. Survey of catalysis by various systems of organometallics and research on kinetics and mechanisms of polymerization and on polymer structure and properties. 155 pages with index Cloth bound (1966) $5.50
No. 48 Rlasticization and Plasticizer Processes. Seventeen studies on plasticizer action, properties, Includes chapters on glass transition, plastirocesses for phthalates and other plasticizCloth bound
(1965)
$7.00
ymerization and Polycondensation Processes. An I&EC Division symposium with emphasis on unit processes. Twenty-one papers on addition polymerization, polyconde reactions, commercial polymerization processes, uipment design , 260 pages Paper bound (1962) $8.00 No. 23 Metal-Organic Compounds. Of the 34 papers, three review organometallcs, metal alkoxides, and metal chelates; 31 others detail manufacture, properties, and uses of metalic compounds of 14 metals. 371 pages Cloth bound (1959) $5.75
No. 14 Nomenclature for Terpene Hydrocarbons. The system that has been accepted by the Nomenclature Committee of the ACS Division of Organic Chemistry and recommended as definitive by IUPAC. Profusely illustrated with figures, charts, and diagrams. 98 pages Paper bound (1955) $3.00 No. 9 Fire Retardant Paints. Theory of flame-proofing effectiveness and formulation, and testing of fire-retardant paints, aircraft coatings, and flame-resistant mastics. 91 pages
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