Engineering Resources - Mechanical Engineering - Environmental Aspects
University Libraries
The University Libraries Web, the Library Information Access System (LIAS),
is the gateway to the wide range of resources that are available to the Penn
State community. These include The CAT, the catalog of the materials that the
University Libraries own, databases in a number of subjects, full text journal
collections, and some full text reference materials. The CAT and the databases
that are most useful in engineering science will be reviewed. After the summary
of the database, there is a link to a web page with more detailed information
and examples. The list of databases available through LIAS is called the E-Resources
List All the described databases and their descriptions are on the List.
The
CAT
The CAT provides author, title, and subject access to 'whole items.' Whole items
means that the entire resource is indexed without information to the parts of
the work. For example, a conference will be listed by the title of the conference,
the editor, the sponsoring agency, and subject headings. The individual papers
presented at the conference will not be indexed in the CAT. Journal titles will
be listed, but not individual papers published in the journal. For access to
individual articles or conference papers a subject database is used.
Materials that are indexed in the CAT include books, journal titles, computer files, CD ROMs, conferences, videos., maps, etc.
Compendex
Compendex (Computerized Engineering Index) is the major index to all branches
of engineering. It indexes journal articles and conference papers from 1884
-. Many resources are available full text online. Either use the Full Text button
or the Get It! button. If we don't have the item full text online, you will
need to go to the CAT to see if PSU owns the item. Get It is a fast way to check both online and print availability
AGRICOLA
Agricultural subjects from 1970 -.
Dissertation
and Theses
Indexes over 1.4 million dissertations and theses from over 1000 universities.
Coverage begins in 1851.
Environmental Engineering Abstracts
Journal coverage of air and water quality, environmental safety, and energy production in engineering from 1973-.
Environmental
Sciences and Pollution Management
"The Environmental Sciences Collection provides abstracts and references
to the literature covering all areas of air, land, water, and noise pollution
as well as bacteriology, ecology, toxicology, risk assessment, environmental
engineering, environmental biotechnology, waste management, and water resources
from 1981 to the present." (E-Resource List)
NTIS
NTIS (National Technical Information Service) is a major index to technical
reports. A major part are on the various branches of engineering. Coverage starts
with 1964. You may search by author, title, keyword or subject headings. There
is no call number, but each report is identified by a ID number, which is the
number used in filing the reports, on microfiche, in cabinets on the left side
of the Engineering Library. If the report you need is not in the file cabinet,
ask for assistance at the circulation desk in the Engineering Library. We can
order the report for you. It normally takes approximately ten days for the report
to arrive.
ProQuest
ProQuest is a multi-disciplinary database which indexes over 5000 journals,
magazines and newspapers. Approximately one third are full text. While coverage
of engineering topics is not strong from a technological sense, it is very good
for looking at the news, social and economic aspects of engineering.
Science
Citation Index - Web of Science/Knowledge
Science Citation Index is a unique index that allows you to discover what subsequent
publications have included a reference to an earlier, pertinent publication
in their bibliography. SCI indexes 3200 titles in all areas of science and technology.
Searching is done via author name. The theory behind citation indexing is simple.
If a later paper references a paper that you have found useful, there is a strong
possibility that the later paper might be useful to you. Citation indexing provides
that link so you can locate these new papers.
Other Useful Resources
"Science.gov is a gateway to authoritative selected science information provided by U.S. Government agencies, including research and development results." (web page)
The Engineering Library web page is a 'one stop' summary of quality web sites. It includes general resources of use to engineers, subject specific sites, links for full text materials (journals, magazines, technical reports and some handbooks), and instructional guides with an engineering focus.
Intute (formerly EEVL)
Search or browse this large, annotated collection of engineering web sites. Frequently updated.
Excellent resource from University of California, Riverside. Search the site or browse by category.
Beta test of evaluated scholarly resources. Has citation links. While still being developed, well worth a look.
Links to scholarly resources. Similar to Google Scholar.
Full Text Journals and Reports
The University Libraries is purchasing an increasing number of journals in electronic
format so the patron can use the materials on their desktop. In addition, a
number of agencies are beginning to put their reports up on the Web full text.
To locate journals that are available, search the CAT by the journal name. If there is an electronic version a URL will be noted in the record. Click on the link and follow the directions on the screen. Most of these titles are only available in electronic format for the last few years. See IEEE transactions on information technology in biomedicine. for an example. You can also find full text links when searching in subject databases. Look for a full text button or for Get It!
Check out Citation Linker for a fast way to find your article.
For more information on electronic journals and how to access them see the Remote Database Access Guide .
Other Information
Sometimes it is difficult to know where a journal is indexed. A well kept secret is the following guide. It lists journals, publication data and who indexes each publication. Give it a look.
Ulrich's International Periodicals Directory
Ulrich's (Z6941.U5, Eng., Pattee, etc.) is generally used by librarians, however it serves a very important role for the student/researcher. If you know a few good journals, Ulrich's can tell you which databases index those journals..One of the best features of Ulrich's is the feature that tells you if a journal is refereed or not. You can even search on a topic and limit the search to refereed publications.
Services provides an electronic link to Interlibrary Loan which borrow materials that the University Library does not own.
My Library Record allows you to renew your books without bringing them back to the library (2 times, anyway) and lets you check what books you have out, when they are due, what is on hold, fines, etc. Look for the link on the Libraries' homepage.
WorldCat - is an index to the combined collection of thousands of libraries around the world. It has over 38 million records. Use it to verify a citation or to locate who owns a title.
Evaluation Guides
Evaluation of resources is crucial. You need to consider the authority, validity, currency, and many other factors. Several sites provide good overviews of the topic.
Check out Cornell University's Critically Analyzing Information Sources
or
World Wide Web Virtual Library - Evaluation of Information Sources
Citation Guides
Engineering does not have a specific citation guide. The options are to use a general guide, one from anther discipline, or to use a guide from your specific professional society. For more information see the Engineering Libraries' How to Guide to Bibliographic Citations
or the Gateway Library's guide
Engineering Library Video Tutorials
Seven tutorial that covers several of the databases discussed in class are reviewed in short video demonstrations. While the topics used in the videos are from nuclear engineering, the principles apply to all subjects. Take a look when you need a refresher or information on a database not covered in class. More videos are planned for the near future.
A tutorial that covers several of the databases discussed in class is in the testing phase. It will provides a reminder on why and how to use the databases. The tutorial can be found at http://www.libraries.psu.edu/instruction/engineering/engineering.html on the Libraries Server.
Send questions and comments to Bonnie Osif,
Site for Mechanical Engineering Seminar, created March 18, 2005, updated May 29, 2008