A broad range of databases is described, in detail, including databases of
structure and properties of materials, spectral databases for materials
identification and reaction databases. Account of activities of institutions
that collect, edit and disseminate such information is given. The way in which
chemical, materials and reaction databases are built is explained and the way
of handling these databases is described. The uses of databases in searching
structural regularities and structure-properties (structure-reactivity)
correlations is accentuated with the view of predicting and developing new
materials and technologies. The use of literature and bibliographic information databases is especially illustrated by numerous products of the world´s top information industry centers - Chemical Abstract Service a Institute for Scientific Information.