Is there any reason to consult the printed Beilstein or Gmelin handbooks anymore?
The Reaxys database is not an exact duplication of the Handbooks. Pertinent data and references were extracted over time from the printed works to create the electronic databases. The printed Beilstein Handbook entries, while in highly abbreviated German, may provide some textual descriptions of synthetic chemistry that are not present in the online version. Beilstein Supplement V (1960-79) has only been partially converted. Conversely, there is much information later added to the Beilstein database that was never included in the printed Handbook. The print Gmelin Handbook content from 1976 to 1998 (when it ceased) has not been converted to the database format. Print Gmelin remains the more useful of the two in print because it was more textual and narrative in presentation and provided useful tables and graphs in the text. It is sometimes advisable to follow up a database search with a look in the Gmelin volumes. Because the print and online formats are complementary rather than ident
