FAQs

Below we have compiled a selection of frequently asked questions and answers to assist you in using the eBook Collection. We recommend that you check this section before contacting us as it is likely to provide you with a fast and straightforward answer to your question. If you find that your particular query is not covered below then do not hesitate to use the Contact page to send our team an email and one of our team will respond to you as quickly as possible.

What is the eBook Collection?

The eBook Collection consists of a wide range of books published by RSC since 1968.  The content is growing all the time and includes almost 1000 individual books and over 16,000 individual chapters which are indexed with DOI numbers.

Why can I view some of the pdfs in an eBook but not all of the content? 

All visitors to the eBook Collection have free full access to the following content for every eBook:

• table of contents
• preface
• front matter
• first chapter    

             
The remaining content is protected and a licence is required to view that material.  To find out more about licensing the eBook Collection visit the Pricing and Licensing Information page.  Your institute may subscribe to the full collection (1968 to present day) or by smaller subject or publication year-specific sets. If you have purchased a licence but are having trouble viewing the content please contact our eBook support team using the Contact page in the left-hand navigation column.

How can I get access to all the content in the eBook Collection?

To view the complete content of the eBook Collection a licence is required.  To find out more about this please visit the Pricing and Licensing Information page in the left hand navigation bar.

Can I search for content by structure and sub-structure?

The RSC eBook Collection has been indexed by ChemSpider. Searching for a chemical structure using this service will provide links to RSC books where available.

Why is it that the keyword I entered is in the title of a book but that book is not showing up as being the most relevant in the search results?

The search engines actually search the content of the books for the number of times that a key word appears in the text, this means that although the word appears in the title of the book, it does not necessarily appear most frequently within the book relative to other books in the Collection.  Thus the search engine does not identify it as being of most relevance.  

I can not locate any titles published this year?

The data for our latest titles is still being worked on and we will continue to update the eBook Collection throughout the year. The best way to find out when new information has been added is to register for eBook Collection Alerts.

I'd like to cite content I've read on the eBook collection, what format do I use?

Citation formats vary, depending on the publication you are writing for, but please include the DOI of the chapter you have read 
(e.g. DOI: 10.1039/9781847559968-00114)

The author I am searching for is not being shown but I know they wrote for the RSC?

Not all books from the RSC are included in the eBook Collection so it may be that their book was not included.  To double check you can contact our team through the Contact page and they will be happy to answer your queries.

How do I buy a print version of the books in the eBook Collection?

The majority of books in the eBook Collection are available to purchase via the RSC Online Shop.  Simply use the "Buy Print" button which appears on the book page to view the price and add to your shopping cart.  Follow the subsequent instructions to proceed to the check out.

Why is the book I want to buy not available from the online shop?

There may be a newer edition of the book you are looking for - please search by the book title. A small number of books available in the collection are out of print - please contact our team using the contact page for confirmation.

Could I use my libraries catalogue system to find your books?

MARC21 records are available for the 1968-2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 collections to download from this website. If your library is subscribing to the eBook Collection then titles should appear in your institute's library catalogue as an "online resource" or "ebook".

The page I am viewing appears to contain incorrect bibliographic information, what should I do?

If you are worried or concerned regarding the information you have seen in the eBook Collection please contact us using the Contact page in the left hand navigation and please include a copy of the URL you were on when you saw the error.

Should you have any further questions do not hesitate to contact us, we welcome your feedback!