GEMs Frequently Asked Questions

Beta version, February 15, 2006
For internal review only

  1. What is GEMs?
  2. What does GEMs stand for?
  3. How do I access the GEMs database?
  4. Who has access to the database?
  5. Who manages the GEMs database?
  6. Why was GEMs developed?
  7. What kinds of educational materials are appropriate for the GEMs database?
  8. How are educational materials organized in the database?
  9. Why contribute to GEMs?
  10. How do I submit educational materials to the database?
  11. Who is the target audience?
  12. Will submission of unpublished materials affect my ability to publish them in the future?
  13. How do I reference materials that I submit to the GEMs database?
  14. What are the “Terms & Conditions” for use?
  15. Can someone else use my material to publish a lab manual or a textbook?
  16. Can I use my material to publish a lab manual or a textbook?
  17. Who created the GEMs database?
  18. Who is funding the project?
  19. Who is responsible for data entry?
  20. How often is the database updated?




  1. What is GEMs?

    GEMs is a free, Internet accessible database for organizing and disseminating green chemistry educational materials.

  2. What does GEMs stand for?

    GEMs stands for Greener Education Materials for Chemists.

  3. How do I access the GEMs database?

    The URL for the GEMs database is http://greenchem.uoregon.edu/gems.html.

  4. Who has access to the database?

    The GEMs database is a free, Internet accessible database. Access is not restricted.

  5. Who manages the GEMs database?

    Dr. Julie Haack at the University of Oregon is currently managing GEMs. If you would like more information about the GEMs project, please contact her by email at jhaack@uoregon.edu or by phone at (541) 346-4604.

  6. Why was GEMs developed?

    GEMs was developed as a tool to facilitate the incorporation of green chemistry materials into the curriculum and to catalyze the formation of a green chemistry education community.

  7. What kinds of educational materials are appropriate for the GEMs database?

    Anything that incorporates green chemistry principles into the curriculum including PowerPoint presentations; pod casts and video lectures; laboratory exercises; multi-media materials; classroom demonstrations; interactive learning modules; course descriptions, etc.

  8. How are educational materials organized in the database?

    Each entry includes a description of the item and is searchable by a variety of parameters, including chemistry concepts, laboratory techniques, green chemistry principles, and target audience.

  9. Why contribute to GEMs?

    Educational materials that illustrate the principles of green chemistry are limited and often difficult to find. By contributing published and unpublished materials, you are facilitating the development, dissemination and incorporation of green chemistry educational materials into the chemistry curriculum. Contributors also benefit from raising the visibility of their own work in the area of educational materials development.

  10. How do I submit educational materials to the database?

    Contact Julie Haack at jhaack@uoregon.edu and request a data entry form. Submissions typically include a 150-200-word summary and some key words.

  11. Who is the target audience?

    Currently undergraduates. We are in the process of collecting items appropriate for K-12 and the general public.

  12. Will submission of unpublished materials affect my ability to publish them in the future?

    It’s hard to predict whether publishers will consider GEMs content as “prior publication.” However, preliminary conversations with John Moore at the Journal of Chemical Education indicate that they do not consider posting a lab procedure on the GEMs site as “prior publication.”

  13. How do I reference materials that I submit to the GEMs database?

    You can reference your contribution as an Internet publication. For example: Author (that would be you). Greener Education Materials for Chemists (title of the site). (URL to your materials in the database) (accessed date).

  14. What are the “Terms & Conditions” for use?

    The GEMs site contains valuable proprietary products embodying substantial creative efforts and information, ideas, and expressions. The entire GEMs site is protected by U.S. copyright laws and by international treaties. Authors providing third party materials (that would be you) retain all rights, title and interest in and to their respective materials. The full text version of the “Terms & Conditions for Use” is located at the bottom of the page at http://greenchem.uoregon.edu/gems.html.

  15. Can someone else use my material to publish a lab manual or a textbook?

    No. Anyone wanting to use materials contained in the GEMs site must get written permission from the original author and the University of Oregon.

  16. Can I use my material to publish a lab manual or a textbook?

    Yes. Third parties retain all rights, title and interest in and to their respective material on the GEMs site.

  17. Who created the GEMs database?

    The design and development of the GEMs database has been a highly collaborative process involving the Green Chemistry Group in the Department of Chemistry and the Center for Educational Technologies at the University of Oregon. Please visit http://greenchem.uoregon.edu/Pages/AboutGEMs.html for a complete listing of individuals involved in the project.

  18. Who is funding the project?

    We gratefully acknowledge support from the National Science Foundation’s Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE-0088986 and DUE-0443128), the American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute and the following University of Oregon Groups; College of Arts and Sciences, the Instructional Technology Fellowship Program and the Department of Chemistry.

  19. Who is responsible for data entry?

    Dr. Julie Haack is currently managing data entry. Data entry will become more distributed as authoring tools are developed.

  20. How often is the database updated?

    Every six months