Subject Guide: Mechanical Engineering

Finding Technical Reports

Much engineering research gets disseminated in technical reports before appearing in conference papers and journal articles. Technical reports describe the progress or results of scientific or technical research and development. They serve as a report of accountability to the organization funding the research. In particular they are a good source of information regarding government-funded research. Some useful indexes to technical reports include:

NTIS — the National Technical Information Service database
An index (1964 to date) to U.S. government sponsored technical reports; includes reports from NASA, DOE, EPA, and other agencies.
Energy Citations Database
Indexes reports sponsored by the Department of Energy (DOE) and its predecessors from 1948 to the present. Some reports are available in full text online.
NTRS: NASA Technical Reports Server
Indexes reports sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and its predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). Some reports are available in full text online.

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

Related Guides:
How to Find Technical Reports