[Online literature searches--a new dimension in mastering the information avalanche? A demonstration using examples].

Several examples of online literature searches in the Chemical Abstracts, Science Citation Index, and Biological Abstracts data bases are discussed to demonstrate that online searching is a powerful and very useful tool for retrieving information faster and more efficiently than before. This article attempts to stimulate scientists to familiarize themselves with this new technique and gain some personal experience, because online searching for information will probably become indispensable in scientific research and teaching in the near future.