Post on 12-Jul-2015
transcript
Strategies and Sources for
Locating Engineering
Information
Elizabeth Cheney
Science & Engineering Library
echeneyl@library.ucla.edu
Art of Engineering Endeavors/ Engr. 185W
October 12, 2012
Introduction
How to save time while looking for:
Books
Journal articles
Patents
Pricing information in vendor catalogs
Brainstorming with group
n Possible products
- Similar existing products you can research
and build upon, develop new applications
for?
– Terminology and vocabulary of the industry
– Corporate players in the industry
– Sense of the market for the product
Examples
Tony Fadell’s Nest Thermostat - inspired by the iPod
Researchers at UC Berkeley studied African Rainbow
lizards in building the “Tailbot”
Cat ears that respond to brainwaves by Neurowear
company
Beginning your search
n Just Google It
– Gather vocabulary / lingo
– Identify companies & key people
– Design ideas
– Materials ideas
– Explore the market / consumers
Remember ¾ of the internet is comprised of commercial or entertainment sites
Other places to begin
For some products, an overview article from a newspaper, an encyclopedia, or a trade journal may be useful
– Wikipedia
– Reference Universe (online encyclopedias)
– Business Source Complete (for trade journals)
– Lexis-Nexis (for newspaper articles)
Searching the Internet
Google searches a billion webpages
The Invisible Web is 500 times bigger
Searching the Internet
Proprietary databases; e.g.,
Travelocity; LA Times;
Weather.com; Eddie Bauer
Books, journals
and databases
that cost $$$$$$$
Content you will only have
access to if you pay or the library
pays
Government
websites;e.g.,Patent
office; NASA;
Bureau of the
Census
What does the library pay for?
Books – Including many electronic items
UCLA Library Catalog
To request materials from other libraries
In Worldcat (and article databases), look for
In Melvyl (and databases), look for
When not in either of these databases go to the Interlibrary Loan form– Request an item using a UC blank form:
– Book Request Form: this form can also be used to request videos, dissertations, scores, etc.
– Article Request Form
– Book Chapter Request Form
It takes 3-10 days, so order items early!
Controlled Vocabulary
Library of Congress
Subject Headings
(LCSH)Each database has its own
controlled vocabulary.
Authorized Refs and Notes
The Library also pays for journals
Elsevier
Springer
Wiley
SIAM
ACM
ASME
Taylor and Francis
IEEE
IET
ASCE
Sage
Side note:
Economics of Information
STEM journals and databases = cost of
your firstborn child
Library pays now, you or your employer
will have to pay later
Looking for journal articles Compendex (All engineering disciplines)
Inspec (Electrical engineering, computer science, physics, applied physics)
IEEE Xplore (mostly EE)
Web of Knowledge (Interdisciplinary)
PubMed (some bioengineering/biotechnology)
Aerospace and High Technology
Academic Search Complete (Interdisciplinary)
What do you get?
Databases
Powerful search
functionality
Quality controls on content
Indexing to improve
searching
Abstracting to improve
efficiency
Links to full-text
Journal
Credibility of author
Reputation of journal
Links to articles cited in
bibliographies
The articles you cite
improve the credibility of
your article
What else do you get?
Reliable information – articles have been reviewed by the authors’ peers
Unbiased information – typically academic journals aren’t trying to sell you anything
Detailed, subject-specific information
Links to additional information in bibliographies or through database tools
Choosing a Database
Not all databases are created equal
Differ by subjects and years covered
Different types of resources
Multidisciplinary vs. specialized
Using Databases:
Refining Your Search
Search for “artificial intelligence” – too many results
Search for “robotics” and “problem solving” – too few results
Using Databases:
Basic Search Strategy
Start with keyword (natural language) searches
Find a relevant article
Find the subject terms assigned to that article
Search using the controlled vocabulary
Use the search refinement features of each database
Patents Patents - No Cost Searching Web Sites
European Patent Office
Patents, U.S. (Google)
USPTO (US Patent and Trademark Office) Database Searches front page information in US patent starting from 1790.
FreepatentsOnline
DEPATISnet information
SurfIP
International Patent Offices
Patent Information Users Group (PIUG)
US Patent and Trademark Office
http://www.scitopia.org
Vendor catalogs –
to price out costs of manufacturing
Aldrich Catalog Search
Allied Electronics
Ben Meadows Company
DesignInfo - Searchable Engineering Catalogs on the Net
Digi-Key Electronic Components
Edmund Scientific
Global Spec
Grainger catalog
McMaster-Carr Supply Company
Mouser Electronics
Newark Electronics, Catalog Distributor of Electronic Components
Rutland Tool & Supply Co., Inc.
Sigma Catalog Search
Building Materials by McGraw-Hill Sweets
Thomas Register of American Manufacturers
tile.net/vendors
Need help –
Ask a Librarian
echeneyl@library.ucla.edu
(310)825-3398
IM: cheneyucla
SEL Reference Desk
8270 Boelter Hall
10-12, 1-5, Mon - Fri