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Subject Guide: Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

Core Research Tools in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

These tools provide the best starting point for research in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences. To dig deeper, explore the other categories in this guide.

Melvyl
Library catalog for the UC System. Find call numbers, locations, and online access for books, journals, conference proceedings, and more.
A Brief Guide to Melvyl

INSPEC
Most comprehensive article index for computer science and electrical engineering. Find journal articles and conference papers.

ACM Digital Library
Online versions of all ACM journals, magazines, and conference proceedings.

IEEE Xplore
Online versions of all IEEE and IEE journals, magazines, and conference proceedings plus all current IEEE standards.

CiteSeer
Online collection of full-text computer science articles, papers, and technical reports freely available on the Web. (A new version, CiteSeerX, has launched its alpha phase.)

Finding Overviews and Data

Use encyclopedias and handbooks to find descriptions and overviews for your research. They also contain specialized information such as formulas, methods, practices, tables, and data.

To access other reference tools, consult our complete list of Electronic Books or browse the Engineering Library Reference Collection in appropriate call number ranges.

Related Guides:
How to Read Library of Congress Call Numbers

Finding Journal Articles and Conference Papers

Journal articles and conference papers are the primary means of disseminating research in engineering. As such, they are essential references within quality research. Use article databases to find journal articles and conference papers relevant to your research.

Core Databases: Years Covered Default Search Truncation Symbol
ACM Digital Library
journals, magazines, and conferences of the ACM
1954–present All n/a
INSPEC
computer science, electrical engineering, physics, and related fields (Guide: HTML, PDF)
1969–present Adjacent * or $
Web of Science
all science and engineering fields, with cited reference searching (Tutorial: HTML and Guide: HTML, PDF)
1900–present All *

Related Databases: Years Covered Default Search Truncation Symbol
CiteSeer
computer science - articles, papers, and technical reports freely available online (a new version, CiteSeerX, has launched its alpha phase)
n/a Adjacent n/a
Computing Reviews
reviews of computing literature, including journals, conference proceedings, books, and book chapters
1985–present Phrase *
IEEE Xplore
journals, magazines, and conferences of the IEEE and IET
1988–present (or earlier) Phrase *
INSPEC Archive
computer science, electrical engineering, physics, and related fields (Guide: HTML, PDF)
1898–1969 Adjacent $
MathSciNet
theoretical and applied mathematics (Guide: HTML)
1940–present Adjacent *

To access other article databases, consult our complete list of Article Databases.

Locating Full Text Online or in the Library: Many article databases offer the UC-eLinks service, providing links to full-text articles online and automated library catalog searches. If these links fail, you can search for the journal title or conference name yourself in Melvyl.

Related Guides:
Getting Started with UC-eLinks
How to Find Journal Articles
How to Find Conference Proceedings

Finding Electronic Journals

Search the Electronic Journals database for other ejournals at UCB. If you don't find the title there, search Melvyl.

Selected Research Journals

Browse key journals in your field to keep abreast of new developments and identify interesting research directions. This list is not comprehensive, so ask your professors about other key journals directly related to your research.

Electrical Engineering

Computer Science

Finding Technical Reports

Much engineering research gets disseminated in technical reports before appearing in conference papers and journal articles. Technical reports can be excellent sources of information, especially in computer science.

UCB Reports

Other technical reports may be available online or in our uncataloged technical report collection. Consult our Technical Reports page for online sources, or ask a librarian for assistance in locating specific reports.

Related Guides:
How to Find Technical Reports

Finding Dissertations and Theses

For the most part, only UCB dissertations are available in the UCB Libraries. To find specific UCB dissertations, search Melvyl by Author. To locate sample UCB dissertations from your department, search Melvyl for the Subject berkeley dissertations electrical engineering computer sciences.

Keeping Track of Citations

Bibliographic management packages allow you to import citations from online article databases, organize these citations in a personal database, automatically format them within papers, and create instant bibliographies in a variety of styles.

Related Guides:
Bibliographic Management Software
RefWorks Tips for Engineering Databases
EndNote Tips for Engineering Databases

Keeping Current with Research

Many article databases offer services that allow you to create searches that run automatically whenever new records are added. New results are sent directly to your email address, providing a quick and easy way to keep current with research.

Alerting services are offered by the following article databases that cover electrical engineering and computer science topics:

Additionally, many publishers and individual journals offer their own alerting services. Please ask a librarian for more information.