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Searching for information on famous engineers, structures, or engineering innovations can use a number of information sources.
First, you need to know who or what you are searching. If you don’t have a specific topic or engineer, try searching the lists located in one of the links under the Web tab on this page. Or, browse one of the online journals listed below to see what might interest you. One other option is to search using LC subject headings listed below in the section on the CAT. Browse until you see a topic that interests you.
The next step is to search the CAT to see if we have something on that specific person or topic. If not, you might want to do a more general search. For example, look at computers rather than a specific computer or hybrid vehicles rather than a specific make and model. Look carefully at the subjects listed on the bottom of the More tab page.
Here is a keyword search on hybrid cars. Look at the subjects at the bottom of the record. I now could search on the more precise terms Electric automobiles or hybrid electric cars. You can use this search strategy for any subject.
If you know the engineer, structure, or the engineering innovation , you can search the CAT by the name of the engineer or the innovation. For example, Thomas Edison will bring up a wealth of resources. If you are interested in the light bulb, you can do a search on a keyword search on light bulb$ ( use truncation symbol $ to bring up light bulb and light bulbs). The result will be a number of resources. To be more precise, search light bulb$ as a LC subject heading.
In some cases you might need to make your search more general. Using the subjects below you can find books on various areas of engineering that might have a chapter on the engineer, structure, or innovation of interest. While you can use the default keyword search, it might be better to go to advanced search and use the LC Subj heading box and use the one of the following suggested LC subject terms –
The next step is to look at some of the databases to find more specific information. For more information go to the Database tab on this page.
Several good journals on the history of engineering are listed below. These may be useful in finding a topic to use. Search these by title in the CAT.
Note the “online content” hyperlink. Clink on this link and you will see the GET It page.
If you want to browse journals, you can click on the go and just browse. For more information see How to Browse a Journal
Useful Titles -
American Men & Women of Science (biographical information on scientists and engineers)
Technology and Culture
Annals of Science
American Heritage of Invention & Technology
Research guides are a good way to discover the databases to search for a given topic. Those suggested for this assignment include the research guides for specific disciplines in engineering or the guide for the History of Science.
When searching in these databases, search for the specific innovation or structure (ex. Search Compendex for the Falkirk Wheel) or the innovation and history or the name of a specific engineer. You might turn up far too much information. In that case, try to limit based on the tips given in class (add appropriate terms, use the refine search options on the right side of the screen, look at the subject terms to fine tune your search terminology).
The following web sites can help you locate engineers or to find engineering inventions, structures, or innovations.
You can locate names of famous engineers from the following web sites -
Engineering innovations, inventions, and marvels are linked from -
