FAQs
How should I search for an author’s name in the Access Structures service?
Solution
The new version of Access Structure allows you to search for authors in the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) and the Inorganic Crystal Structure Database (ICSD) and below are some guidelines to help you find the structures associated with a given author name.
Author names given in new CSD entries should match how the author name is formatted in any associated scientific article. However, historically, in the CSD first (or given) names were contracted into initials. The new author search takes this into consideration and so if you search for a contracted name it will also find entries in which the author name is given in full.
Chinese, Korean and Malaysian names are usually stored in full and in the order given in the journal article, e.g. Bing Bing Chang, Jung Mi Shin. However these names may not all follow these conventions and they may be recorded with initials, e.g. H.S.Kim. These variations are historical and are due to different journal conventions.
Examples:
• Searching for J.Smith will find entries in which the name is given as John Smith, J.Smith, Joseph Smith etc, it will not find entries in which the name is given as J.C.Smith or John Charles Smith.
• Searching for John Smith will only find entries where the name is given in full (these will be entries added in the last few years) and will not find J.Smith.
• Searching for Jung Mi Shin will find entries where the name is given as Jung Mi Shin but will not find entries where the name is given as Shin Jung Mi or Shin Mi Jung.
You can also search for entries with multiple author names by separating author names using a comma (e.g. J.Smith, A.Brown). In this case the author search will find entries in which both names appear in the entry.
Example:
• Searching for J.Smith, A.Brown will find entries that have both J.Smith, A.Brown in a single publication in any order. It will not find entries with just A.Brown or just J.Smith.
We will of course be working to enhance our author name search functionality according to your requirements so do let us know how you would like this search to evolve by emailing us at structures@ccdc.cam.ac.uk