Technical reports are produced
by a large number of organizations. NTIS is the major clearinghouse
for technical reports, indexing U.S. government sponsored research, some
from corporations and academic institutions and a selection of international
reports. For those reports not indexed in NTIS or for more subject specific
coverage, search Aerospace Index, TRIS (transportation), DOE
Reports Bibliographic Database, DOE Information Bridge, DTIC Technical
Reports Database, or others listed on the E-Resources List or the Engineering
Web page.
Technical reports
are a very important means of communication in the scientific and technical
fields. They are used to report research progress to sponsors.
These sponsors are generally government agencies, but also corporations
or academic institutions. Reports tend to be timely, succinct and
detailed, making them very valuable resource in engineering.
Technical reports are
a integral part of the scientific communication process. A search
of the technical literature is an essential part of a quality literature
review.
Technical reports
are indexed in several locations. Please note that some of these
indexes also include the full text report.
- NTIS - interdisciplinary index to over 3,000,000 technical reports in all subjects
- Aerospace Database
- Department of Energy Information Bridge
- TRIS from the Transportatin Research Board
- or other sources listed on the Engineering Libraries Electronic Publications Page
Technical reports
can be somewhat of a challenge to locate once the appropriate database
has been searched. Some are cataloged and shelved as if they were books
in the circulating collection of either the Engineering Library or another
University Libraries location. Others are kept in the microfiche
collection in Engineering or another Libraries location. Still
others may be collected and bound together, usually as a circulating volume.
In addition, an increasing number are being collected, full text, on the
web.
The best tip is to print complete citation information. If the report is available through NTIS, note the NTIS ID number and check the fiche cabinets. If the Engineering Library does not own the fiche, in most cases it will be ordered. See the NTIS helpsheet for more information.
If another database was used, check The CAT to see if the item is held in the cataloged collection. If not, check NTIS to see if it has an NTIS ID number. If no again, see if any of the online, full text resources cover this title.
If, after exhausting these possibilities, you have not found your report, see someone at the Engineering Library circulation or reference desk, or send an email with complete information. If the University Libraries does not own the item, it can be requested through interlibrary loan or document delivery.
