. . Is managing technical information
Chemical information specialists manage technical information as an occupation. With the exponential increase in the number of scientific journals published today, the management of technical information is becoming an increasingly complicated task. Research scientists are often unable to keep up with the periodicals and patent literature in their own field. The primary role of all chemical information specialists is to understand and organize this information and make it available and easily accessible to other people when they need it.

Opportunities in chemical information include being a scientific librarian, a technical information specialist, a market researcher or management consultant, a technical publisher, a software developer, or a computer programmer. Many people start their careers as document analysts or indexers of periodical literature. Indexing often leads to working with this information in other capacities including sales and marketing, management, programming, and editorial development. Some indexers move into industry and become technical information specialists. At chemical companies, they support the research chemists by providing the background information necessary to undertake new experiments. Outside of industry, a similar role is played by scientific librarians who manage information for academic researchers.

The educational requirement for document analysts or indexers is at least a bachelor's degree, although a master's or Ph.D. degree may be required to work in more specialized areas. Some areas of chemical information place greater value on other skills and training. For example, getting a master's degree in library science (an M.L.S. degree) is required if you want to be a science librarian. However, information specialists who have a career in industry say that although their job functions are similar to science librarians, a solid foundation in science is more important in getting a job. Eric Vogelsburg, a chemical consultant at Kline & Company, says that business courses might be useful to those not planning to be career scientists. He applies his chemical training to the organization of information as a consultant.

. . . Is working with computers and applying research techniques
One of the fastest growing areas for chemical information specialists is computer software development. Databases make it possible to search for periodical abstracts and molecular information for computer modeling.

Gerald G. Vander Stouw, research projects manager of Chemical Abstracts Services, explains that in the 1960s and 1970s, chemical information specialists were people who used the computers to search for information. With the proliferation of personal computers in the 1980s, he says it became possible for individuals to search databases themselves. Now, this information is available on the Internet, so anyone with an account can have access to technical data.

"This availability changes the role of the information specialist," he asserts. "Information specialists used to be intermediaries; however, they are now becoming expert resources. There is a real need for people with expertise in the use of databases and in chemical research techniques."

. . . Is working with people
But the job is not only about managing technical information. Some chemical information specialists say what they enjoy most about their work is the interaction with other people. Whether they work as a consultant, a librarian, or a computer programmer, information specialists combine their technical skills with good communication skills and the ability to work in a service-oriented position.

. . . Is a career outside the lab
"A chemistry degree can be the key to jobs other than in a lab or a classroom," says Bonnie Lawler, executive vice president for database publishing at the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI). "A chemist can bring so much to other positions. Some technical software companies require their sales representatives to have a chemistry degree," she says. Sometimes opportunities outside the laboratory, such as those in chemical information, are open to those with a chemistry degree because they have the knowledge to communicate with or between a scientist and a lay person.

"What you need to know is where your interest in chemistry fits into the overall picture," says Vogelsberg. "I always liked the theory of chemistry more than the practice of it." This statement is not uncommon for people who have made their careers in chemical information. They love the discipline of chemistry, but choose to apply it to careers outside the lab. A career in the field of chemical information enables them to keep this interest central to their work.

Copyright 1994, 1997 American Chemical Society

Sandra Augustine, Document Analysis and Indexing Manager
As the number of scientific journals grows exponentially-a 700% increase since 1900-it is almost impossible for scientists to keep up with the literature in their field. Part of Sandra Augustine's job is to make this task easier. As a document analysis manager at American Chemical Society's Chemical Abstracts Service, she leads a team that indexes and prepares abstracts of periodical articles, putting the journal information into a form that can be easily accessed.

The abstracts are generally a summary of the article's content, including key words that help to cross-reference subject matter. Abstracts briefly describe the concepts and compounds discussed in an article.

All the indexers who work with Augustine have at least a B.S. degree in chemistry. "This training is vital for us to synthesize what is important and what information is new. We do not make judgments on the quality of the material, but we emphasize novel concepts and compounds and try to present them in a form that is lucid and to the point."

Augustine says her work is becoming increasingly integrated with computer technology. CAS and Beilstein are the computerized databases most widely used by chemists. There are other important abstracts services for related disciplines, such as BIOSIS, a service for biological information, and MedLine, for medical information.

Bruce Slutsky, Library Science: Collection Management
Being a generalist is an important personal qualification for the scientific librarian, says Bruce Slutsky, science librarian at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, because in this field you deal with so many different subjects in such a variety of media that it would be a frustrating job for someone who likes to focus in on a particular area.

In many ways, the scientific librarian's job is to manage specialized information-a lot of specialized information. When a library patron is looking for a piece of information, Slutsky must know whether the information will be found in a textbook, a general reference source, a specialized reference source, or a journal paper, and whether it is accessible as hard copy or as computerized information.

Aside from managing the library's collection, Slutsky maintains and develops the collection. Because the volume and cost of scientific literature is increasing all the time, he must be selective about what materials will best serve the users of his library.
With all this work with written materials, Slutsky says what he enjoys most about his job is the interaction with people. "I like learning what their interests are and being able to form the bridge between the information they need and the resources we have."

Patricia O'Neill, Library Science: Scientific Research Support
"When I was an undergraduate, I was the only chemist in my research group who liked to go to the library," says Patricia O' Neill, physical science librarian at Cornell University. "That was probably the earliest indication of my interest in this field." She says that generally, individuals attracted to library science are ones who would rather work with other people than work alone or in a lab.

But O'Neill's career has not taken her far from the lab after all. "At a big research institution like Cornell, librarians can be very involved in research projects by making critical information accessible," she says. Chemists come to her for the information they need to plan an experiment or long-term research project. This includes current periodical literature, patents, and information stored on computer databases. Her job is to help them sift through the vast quantities of material available to find the one piece of information they need.

"I use my chemistry training daily," she says. "When I talk to chemists, I may not need to know how to name a compound, but I need to be familiar enough with the nomenclature to ask them the right questions and get a sense of what they want to find out."

O'Neill comments that she is usually involved in scientific research at the beginning of a project and, again, at its final stages. "But," she adds, "I do not have to do all the repetitious laboratory work in the middle."

William Fisanick, Software Development
Computer technology is rapidly taking over the field of chemical information by making it easier to access data and permitting scientists to use chemical information in more sophisticated ways. William Fisanick, a senior scientist in the research unit at Chemical Abstract Services, combines computer technology and chemical information on the molecular level to aid drug manufacturers and others in the development of novel compounds.

In the past, pharmaceutical chemists would screen thousands of compounds in the lab to see if they would be useful for the development of a certain drug. Today, they can do this same kind of screening at their computer terminals with computational chemistry software. One such process is called similarity searching; it allows the scientist to input a chemical structure and screen the database for other molecules that are likely to have similar efficacy.

Fisanick explains that similarity search software works in a variety of ways. "You can screen for molecules of a similar size and shape or for molecules with a complementary shape." He notes that these are useful in ligand and receptor interactions where the drug is targeted to interact with a certain molecule in a lock and key fashion. The software can also be used locate substances with similar structural or molecular property characteristics. The advantage of similarity screening is that it can provide new leads.

The problem-solving aspect of developing this software is what Fisanick likes most about his job. "I'm not involved in drug design, per se, but I know that some of the techniques we are developing will be useful to drug designers and other scientists in the future."

David Saari, Technical Information Services
"When you process and analyze information, the cream rises to the top," says David Saari, manager of technical information services at American Cyanamid. Knowing how to find this cream is part of Saari's job. In some ways, his work is similar to that of an academic chemical librarian, although Saari's focus is more influenced by what could be good business opportunities for his company.

Saari's primary function is to conduct the preliminary research needed to plan an experiment or new project. To do this, he will perform an information search in periodicals and on-line databases. Saari then helps the research chemists make decisions on how to proceed with their job. "If you have an information scientist who is responsible for the preliminary research, you maximize the efficiency of everyone's work," he says. An in-house technical information center can save a company a lot of money compared with paying a consultant to do this kind of research.

Another part of Saari's job is to keep up to date with patent literature in the areas where American Cyanamid has a business interest. "We do not want to spend research money on things for which we cannot obtain a patent. It is my responsibility to be the eyes and ears of the organization when it comes to what is in the patent literature." It takes special skills and a trained eye to do this. "Looking for patent information that might be relevant to our business can be like looking for a hole by describing the donut. What you want to find is an absence of information."

Bonnie Lawler, Scientific Publishing
Mixing her love of chemical theory with business acumen and her interest in working with people has made scientific publishing a rewarding career for Bonnie Lawler, executive vice president for database publishing at the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI).

"As much as I love chemical theory, I was not enamored with the practice of chemistry," she says. After getting a master's degree in organic chemistry, she became a chemical indexer and moved into a management position for database publishing. Her story is a good example of the numerous opportunities in chemical information that begin with indexing.

ISI is a secondary information publisher that gets its information from scientific journals and creates databases of bibliographic information. Opportunities at her company include the translation of foreign journal articles, product development of new software, sales and marketing of the company's products, and editorial development to identify other areas of scientific information that could be included in the database.

Lawler travels approximately 25% of the year, often overseas to meet with foreign publishers. She went back to school to get an M.B.A., which she believes has been pivotal in her ability to advance in her career. "If you are not going to work in a lab but will work in another area of the chemical industry, I would advise you to pursue an M.B.A.," she says. "There are more career opportunities with a science degree and an M.B.A."

Eric Vogelsberg, Market Research and Management Consulting
Eric Vogelsberg, business manager of the fine and specialty chemicals practice at Kline and Company, says everyone in his division is a chemist or a chemical engineer. This technical training is vital to their work as management consultants.

Vogelsberg explains that Kline's clients are usually companies seeking advice on developing business strategies. "They often want to know if they should continue to invest in a business, maintain their investment, or decrease their investment with an eye to potentially pulling out of the business." As a consultant, it is Vogelsberg's job to help his clients make this decision.

Vogelsberg conducts in-depth market analysis to determine the business climate for the company's products. For example, Vogelsberg identifies whether the market is growing or shrinking. He evaluates the environmental regulations that may affect the manufacture of the product, and he determines what the company's competitors are doing. Depending on what the client has requested, Vogelsberg will present this information to the client or he will prepare a business strategy for the company."

To enjoy this kind of work, you have to be interdisciplinary; you cannot have tunnel vision. "Management consulting," he says, "requires good communication skills, the ability to organize information and draw conclusions, a fair degree of technical knowledge, and an ability to see the information you gather in a broad perspective. It is a service business," he adds, "and thus there is a high level of responsibility to handle the stress of performing all these tasks to the satisfaction of the client."

WORK DESCRIPTION
Chemical information specialists manage technical information in a variety of ways, depending on their position. Most jobs require a good deal of reading and analyzing technical data. Chemistry training is vital to understanding the material and distilling what is most important from it. Presentation and organization of information is also a component of the job.

WORKING CONDITIONS
Chemical information specialists generally work in a business or academic environment. Most spend a good deal of the day at their desks. Some travel or work in the laboratory, depending on the nature of their position. As a service industry, there is a high level of contact with other people.

PLACES OF EMPLOYMENT
Chemical information specialists are hired by libraries, chemical companies, and market research and management consulting firms. They are also employed by the technical and trade divisions of publishing houses and by software developers. In many cases, the focus of these publishing or software companies is purely scientific.

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS
A greater interest in scientific literature rather than scientific method is a good sign that you would be well-suited to a career in chemical information. An eye for detail and a propensity for public service are important. Most chemical information specialists stress the importance of being able to work with people and communicate well, both verbally and in writing.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Educational requirements vary considerably depending on the area of chemical information in which you work. Indexers generally have a bachelor's degree, although a master's or doctoral degree may be required for more specialized work. Additional training and a master's degree in library science (M.L.S.) are necessary to be a chemical librarian in an academic environment; information specialists in industry usually are required to have an advanced degree in their scientific discipline. Market researchers, consultants, and individuals in sales and management positions generally combine their technical training with a business degree.

JOB OUTLOOK
The job market for chemical information has changed because of the increased use of computers. Some chemical companies have phased out their technical information divisions and are using information specialists on a contract basis. Chemical information specialists say this may be an indication of a general trend, but it could also be a temporary or cyclical dynamic. Chemical consulting is also experiencing mixed demand. Less work is available now than during the chemical boom in the early 1980s, but the current downsizing within chemical companies has led to the use of outside consultants. Science librarians say the market is improving, but obtaining a position often requires a willingness to relocate. The use of computers in chemical information positions continues to be a real growth area; a high demand exists for people who can show both technical understanding and computer expertise.

SALARY RANGE
According to a survey conducted by the ACS Chemical Information Division, salaries for chemical information professionals in academia average $32,400-per-year. Those in industry earn an average of $47,200-per-year. These salaries roughly reflect starting salaries and were based on respondents who had been in their positions less than four years. Positions requiring computer skills pay more. Management and business/marketing jobs pay salaries that are in the low-to-mid $60,000 range.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
American Society for Information Science
8720 Georgia Avenue, Suite 501
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3602
(301) 495-0900

Special Libraries Association (Chemical Division)
1700 18th Street NW
Washington, DC 20009
(202) 234-4700

WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW
To determine how well suited you are to a particular career, find opportunities to work in that field. Do not make the mistake many chemical information specialists have made of spending summers in college working only in a university lab. Look for other options outside the academic environment. It is important while still in school, to think about your future and what role you would like your training in chemistry to play, and consider continuing your education by going on for a master's or doctoral degree.

American Chemical Society, Education Division, 1155 Sixteenth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036; (202) 452-2113.