You can try these online encyclopedias and handbooks to find background information on topics in engineering.
You can also try the other online encyclopedias and handbooks in our list of Electronic Books, or use the encyclopedias and handbooks shelved in our Reference section, especially:
PowerPoint Presentation:
You can browse the current issues of trade journals and society magazines in your field to find news and features about research, products, and innovations. You can find the current issues for all of these titles in our Display Journals section.
You can also check these web sites for breaking news on science and technology research and products. Most are freely available and some permit you to sign up for email notices when new items are added to your area of interest.
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You can search article databases to find research published in journal articles and conference papers. Use keywords, boolean operators, truncation, and limits as appropriate in your search. Choose the article index most appropriate for your topic.
There are two article databases essential to engineering research.
There are several other article databases appropriate to engineering research:
This article index covers professional and trade publications. It is more appropriate for finding general information, practical applications, and industry news:
You can also search the other articles indexes in our list of Article Databases, using the descriptions to choose indexes appropriate to your need.
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You can search on titles in the library catalog to find books, journals, and conferences. Remember that conferences can be difficult to find, so consult our guide on How to Find Conference Proceedings for assistance.
| To find… | Choose this search type… |
|---|---|
| Books – specific books: | Title and/or Author |
| Books – on a topic: | Keywords |
| Journals: | Journal Title |
| Conference proceedings: | Conference |
Use the call numbers to locate books, journals, and conferences on our shelves. Remember that call numbers are based on subject matter. Once you find call numbers for books on your topic, you can look at other books shelved nearby to find additional resources.
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You can search patent databases to find patents on particular technologies, methods, and processes. You can also search patent databases for patents issued to specific inventors, companies, or institutions. All U.S. patents back to 1790 are available in full-text TIFF images for free online.
You can also search for foreign patents using the patent databases in our list of Patents links.
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You can use search engines and gateways to find technical information on the web:
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