Infrared spectra in the frequency region 1300-1760cm-' are reported for 41 substituted sodium benzoates and 10 substituted sodium salicylates in deuterium oxide solution, and for 9 substituted salicylic acids in chloroforn~ and carbon tetrachloride solutions. Carboxylate stretching frequencies of benzoates and salicylates correlate poorly with substituent constants, but the asymmetric frequencies of benzoates and salicylates correlate well with each other, and the asymmetric frequencies of benzoates correlate well with the asymmetric frequencies of the corresponding nitrobenzenes. It is suggested that, among substituted aromatic compounds, group vibrations which couple with the ring vibrations may correlate well with similar vibrations of other groups, but not with coupled vibrations of different symmetry, uncoupled vibrations, or substituent constants. Chelation in chloroform solutions of salicylic acid dimers can be detected by its influence on substituent effects, but infrared spectra provide no good evidence for chelation in aqueous sodium salicylates.