Contemporary information media in chemistry

In the present society information is the key source of its further develop ment. The goal of such a society is ensuring a universal access to informat ion; the criterion is the scope, content, quality, usefulness and accessibi lity of information services. Chemistry represents a top area dealt with in informatics. The article reflects the publication explosion, including its consequence; it deals with scientometric assessment of selected chemical j ournals and citations, distribution of chemical information as regards the principal areas, geographical sources and geographical distribution of chem ical production.