Finding Articles

Engineers from universities, the government, industries, and organizations publish articles on research findings, new products and processes, and a number of other technology topics.

Articles along with reports and conference papers are the major ways in which engineers communicate their findings.  Articles tend to be very focused on one subject, detailed, relatively timely, and often provide references for addition research.  They can also be used to update or correct previous articles.

Articles are published in magazines, like ENR which cover news, trade, or business information, or in journals, like the Journal of Manufacturing Systems, which publish scholarly research. 

Articles can be refereed or non-refereed.  Refereed articles are reviewed by other experts in the subject area.  These experts agree that the article has valid information and recommend that it be published in a journal.  Non-refereed articles are accepted by an editor and are published in magazines. One way to verify if an article is refereed is to check its listing in Ulrich's Web Periodical Directory. In The CAT, journals and magazines are called ‘periodicals’ in the subject term field. 

For help in locating an abstract or index use Find Articles by Subject.

Articles are parts of a whole.  The CAT indexes entire items so you do not find articles indexed in The CAT. You will find the title of the entire journal, but to see what articles are published in a journal or what articles have been written on a particular subject you must use an abstract or index database or a print index.

Articles allow relatively fast sharing of research. They tend to focus on one specific topic and can be published faster than a book.  Articles can be very up to date, especially those published in magazines. For many subjects, journal articles are the major source of information on the topic.  

A search of article databases is an essential part of a quality literature review.

The University Libraries has a number of excellent abstracts and indexes (A&I) databases in engineering fields.  The key to finding a pertinent article is to use one of these databases.  They allow you to search authors, title words, subject heading, tables of contents for specific journals, and other indexed fields. A&I databases are most likely on the E-Resources List on the libraries home page, however some are located on workstations in the Engineering Library and others are only available in print.

Some indexes and abstracts located on the E-Resources List are:

• Aerospace Database ­ aerospace topics*
• Applied Science and Technology ­ all technological fields *
• Compendex- all technological fields *
• IEEE ­ electrical and electronics engineering, full text*
• Inspec ­Physics, computer science, electrical engineering*
• ProQuest Direct ­ multidisciplinary *
• SAE ­ Engineering Library workstation, automotive engineering
• TRIS ­ transportation research*

* indicates A&I databases with full text links. If Penn State subscribes to the journal you can click on a full text option to get the article
Each A&I title will have its own search interface; however the logic is the same no matter which database you use.  Most if not all will have a help or FAQ available to help you navigate the database. 

You have several options for searching

• Search a known author
• Search a subject
• Scan the contents of a specific journal title
• Combine any of the above

Once you have found a set of useful articles you will need to locate the full text. Remember, the A&I is indexing and describing the contents of the journals and magazines.  The full text of the article can be located by:

• A link in the record to the full text. If Penn State subscribes to a title, many A&I are now offering full text access with a click of the mouse. Look for the "Get It" link, click on the link and follow the directions in the Get It box that will open.  See IEEE for an example.
• Check the title of the journal in The CAT.  This will indicate if Penn State owns the title, where it is and what years are owned.
  • The title might be on the shelf in one of the subject libraries.
  • The title might be in the Annex.  Click 'I Want It’ on The CAT record screen and follow the directions.
  • It might be available in electronic format as noted by the hyperlink. Click on the link and follow the directions.
  • Penn State might not own the title.  Go to ILLIAD, Penn State's interlibrary loan service, and then fill in the form for article request.

Some hints:

You must search the title of the journal, not the title of the article, in The CAT. Most databases identify the journal title using the terms journal, source (SO) or Serial Title, journal.  

You must search the right A&I to get the best search.  One way to verify the topics that are covered in a databases is to go to the E-Resources List, highlight a database that looks good and click on ‘Describe.’ You will get a summary of the topics covered, types of materials indexed, and dates covered. 

Do not order and pay for articles. We own much of the material indexed and there is very little we cannot obtain for you if you provide complete information and enough time.   

If you are looking for a journal in a subject area (in other words, not a specific journal title, just something in the subject) do a keyword search in The CAT using your subject and the word ‘periodicals’ in the second keyword box. You will get a list of journals and magazines owned by Penn State on that subject. 

One of the fastest ways to find a journal in The CAT is to use the ISSN. This 8 number descriptor is included in some A&I databases. If you find it in the record, use it in a keyword search in The CAT.  It will usually bring up the journal record.  If you do not get the record, try again with the title of the journal. 

Another way to find the right A&I database to search is to use Ulrich’s Periodical Directory.  If you know a journal that has good articles in your subject, look this up in Ulrich’s, then check to see where that journal is indexed.  It is likely one or more of the E-Resources List indexes will be listed. 

There are several full text publisher-based collections listed on the E-Resources List.  If you know who publishes a specific journal you can go to the link and search the table of contents for that particular journal.  Collections include AIAA, ASCE, ASME, IEEE, Cambridge University Press, Elsevier Science Direct, Kluwer, and Wiley.