Can I search CA abstract numbers in SciFinder?
Abstract records from 1967 to present can be searched by abstract number (e.g. 101:59753) in the Locate by Document Identifier tool. 1907-1966 abstract numbers are not searchable or displayable in the CAPLUS file in SciFinder. These are the numbers that look like: 53:2185a, indicating that the original abstract appeared in volume 53 of printed Chemical Abstracts, in column number 2185, position “a” (top of the column). These positional numbers did not necessarily correspond to a specific abstract and thus one-to-one matches aren’t possible. The “CAN” numbers displayed in the CAPLUS file for records prior to 1967 are computer-generated accession numbers and do not correspond to the printed CA in any way. If you have only an old CA number, you must use the print CA to find the abstract. If you need to find a genuine CA number for an older reference, you can look it up in the print, or ask the librarian for assistance.
