LibGuides: Databases for Engineers: Bibliographic Databases

About Bibliographic Databases

In order to identify articles that will be of interest to you, it is useful to start with the abstract and indexing services, or bibliographic databases. Search these services to find references and abstracts of journal articles, conference proceedings and more. These databases often have links to full-text (look for the button). However, if the link does not work, or if there is no link, please check (using the journal title on FindIt@Bham ( http://findit.bham.ac.uk ) to see if the full-text is available on any of our electronic services or if we have a print copy. Libraries and Learning Resources subscribes to a number of Abstract and Indexing services of relevance to engineers; below are some of the most useful ones.

Bibliographic Databases

Compendex (Ei Village 2) This link opens in a new window
Compendex is part of Ei Engineering Village along with INSPEC and GeoBase. It is the world's most comprehensive interdisciplinary engineering database. Abstracts cover over 5,000 international journals, conference proceedings and technical papers. Coverage of over 175 engineering and related disciplines is from 1884 onwards.

INSPEC This link opens in a new window
INSPEC is part of EI Engineering Village along with Compendex and GEOBASE. It includes bibliographic citations and indexed abstracts from publications in the fields of physics, electrical and electronic engineering, communications, computer science, control engineering, information technology, manufacturing and mechanical engineering, operations research, material science, oceanography, engineering mathematics, nuclear engineering, environmental science, geophysics, nanotechnology, biomedical technology and biophysics. Coverage is from 1896.

MathSciNet This link opens in a new window
MathSciNet (the online version of Mathematical Reviews) is a comprehensive database covering the worlds mathematical literature since 1940. It provides access to bibliographic data and reviews of mathematical research literature.

SciFinder This link opens in a new window
This is web-based version of Chemical Abstracts and requires a one time only registration to gain a personal username and password. Please go to this link to access the registration form:
https://scifinder.cas.org/registration/index.html?corpKey=1DF29182-86F3-50AB-5B28-1F156308EAAB

SciFinder is the largest bibliographic database for the chemical sciences. In addition to the usual title/author/keyword searching it supports chemical structure and reaction searching, as well as searching for using CAS registry numbers. Journal articles, conferences and patents are also indexed.

Search hints: Please note SciFinder is only compatible with IE v.7 or above or with any version of Firefox.

Science Citation Index Expanded This link opens in a new window
The Science Citation Index is one of four databases that make up the Web of Science, which is accessible via the ISI Web of Knowledge. Restricting your search to the Science Citation Index will 3 give broad coverage of Science and Engineering. A key feature is the ability to search by citation, that is, to search for articles that have cited a key article since its publication. The database indexes material from 1900 onwards, although the older records do not have abstracts.

GEOBASE This link opens in a new window
GEOBASE is part of Ei Engineering Village along with Compendex and INSPEC. It is a multidisciplinary database providing bibliographic information and abstracts for human and physical geography, ecology, geology, oceanography, geomechanics and development studies. The database provides current coverage of over 1800 journals and archival coverage of 2000 additional journals from 1973 onwards.

Ergonomics Abstracts This link opens in a new window
Ergonomics Abstracts includes over 200,000 records from 400 journals, book chapters and proceedings on the subjects of psychology, physiology, biomechanics, job design, human-computer interaction, safety science, human engineering, medicine, occupational health, sport and transport.

Polymer Library (RAPRA) This link opens in a new window
The Polymer Library remains the largest dedicated resource of polymer information in the world, with around 1,000,000 abstracts. The Polymer Library provides valuable information to the rubber, plastics, adhesives and composite industries and those utilising polymer products. The intelligent search facility helps you to find the information you need quickly and effectively.
Coverage is fully international with source material in a wide range of languages from 30 different countries including North America, Australia, Europe, Japan and China.