Internet resources for mass spectrometry

The growth of the worldwide collection of computer networks known as the In ternet has led to a rapid increase in the quantity and variety of informati on available to scientists in mass spectrometry, It is now possible to lear n about the latest mass spectrometric techniques, compare the capabilities of commercial instruments and participate in discussion with colleagues fro m around the world without ever leaving one's desk. The challenge that come s with the Internet information explosion is to learn how to navigate the v arious areas of the Internet and fully utilize these new information source s. It is also important to know how and where to find the most reliable inf ormation on a medium where quality cannot always be assured. The purpose of this paper is to provide a listing and brief discussion of on-line resourc es available for mass spectrometry. World Wide Web sites are tabulated for search pages, index pages for mass spectrometry research groups and compani es, mass spectrometry societies, local discussion groups, journals and soft ware. Usenet newsgroups and electronic mailing lists of interest to mass sp ectrometrists are listed and discussed. Copyright (C) 1999 John Wiley & Son s, Ltd.