Library workshop slides
Here is the link to the slides from the in-class library workshop:
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Engineering Librarian
Finding Background Information
Encyclopedias and handbooks are a good way to get a broad overview and context for a subject and helpful for deciphering research articles. References at the ends of articles lead you to further relevant information.
Other helpful sources of background information are review articles and trade magazines. You can find those using databases like Scopus and Web of Science and limiting by Document Type or Treatment Type.
- KnovelOnline access to books, databases, and conference proceedings from a number of publishers that cover all areas of engineering and includes content relevant to related sciences (e.g., chemistry and earth sciences). It includes interactive graphs and tables.
- Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical TechnologyFind information on chemical substances including their properties, manufacturing, and uses. Articles focus on industrial processes and unit operations in chemical engineering; and environmental and health issues concerning chemical technology.
Finding Research Articles
Articles are the primary way scientists communicate research results. Use an article index or database to find articles on your topic; the citation includes article information like article title, author, journal name, issue, year, and the abstract.
When you are starting to delve into a new subject, review articles are your best friends. Most article databases will allow you to limit your search just to this type of publication or document. The long reference lists in review articles are also a good way to identify key articles.
- AGRICOLA Agriculture (Ovid)Search agriculture, animal husbandry, animal and human nutrition, forestry, plant pathology, plant science, human ecology, agricultural economics, and rural sociology. Limited to 8 simultaneous users.
- Agricultural & Environmental Science DatabaseSearch journals and literature on agriculture, pollution, animals, environment, policy, natural resources, water issues and more. Searches tools like AGRICOLA, Environmental Sciences & Pollution Management (ESPM), and Digests of Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) databases.
- CAB Abstracts Plus Full Text SelectCAB Abstracts covers agriculture in its broadest sense, including crop production, forestry, environment, animal health and nutrition, veterinary science, agricultural engineering, biotechnology, soil and water, agricultural economics, recreation and tourism, rural sociology, and human nutrition and health.
**Please Note: The publisher's most recent update of the CAB Abstracts database on February 1, 2024, created is causing searches of the database to return incomplete and/or fewer results than expected. Publisher is working to fix but indicates problem may be fully fixed before early April, 2024. - ScopusSearch for information from scientific journals, books and conference proceedings. Covers the fields of science, technology, medicine, social sciences, and arts and humanities.
- Web of ScienceA comprehensive interdisciplinary collection of journal article citations. Subjects generally covered are within science and technology, arts and humanities, and social sciences. View this tutorial to learn how to go from a general idea to a very precise set of results of journal articles and scholarly materials.
Search tips
The following search tips tend to work across different databases:
- Use the word AND to link concepts together: innovation AND product complexity
- Use the word OR with parentheses to search for synonyms: education AND (AI OR artificial intelligence)
- Use quotation marks to search for a specific phrase: “knowledge management”
- Use an asterisk to search for multiple endings of a root word: comput* - to find compute, computer, computing, computation
Finding Patents & Standards
Patents are a good source for technical detail, research data, and drawings. Most information in patents is not published elsewhere. Companies often publish in the patent literature before, or instead of, journals.
- StandardsFind standards from a variety of organizations available via the University of Minnesota Libraries in print and online. If you are unable to find a standard you need, contact us! We may be able to get it for you.
- ASABE Standards (American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers)Find standards governing the engineering and data practices adopted by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers.
Finding Market & Industry Information
The following databases are key resources for finding information on science and technology-related industries and markets. Keep in mind that you may need to think a little more broadly when looking for information on an industry (e.g., adhesives rather than pressure-sensitive adhesives).
For help finding other types of business- and market-related information, contact Caroline Lilyard or see the Business Reference website.
- Frost & Sullivan Market Research ReportsUse for business research and to find Frost & Sullivan's market and industry reports for over 300 markets and 250,000 companies for industrial markets organized into categories for Aerospace and Defense, Automotive and Transportation, Chemicals, Materials, Food; Electronics and Security, Energy and Power Systems, Environment and Building Technologies, Healthcare and Medical Devices, Measurement and Instrumentation, Information and Communication Technologies, and Industrial Automation and Process Control.
- IBIS World (Business)Search industry reports for the United States, Canada, China, and global topics. Each report provides an overall current picture of an industry, including overviews, leading companies, sales information, and authoritative sources for researching hundreds of industries. Includes Business Environmental Profiles that summarize key drivers for industries in the U.S.
Citing Your Sources
- Citation and research help (from Purdue OWL)Examples and instructions for how to cite many types of materials in MLA, APA, Chicago, and AMA styles.
- Zotero (Citation tool)Free, web-based software that is useful for organizing your research sources, creating bibliographies and sharing sources with others.