Indexes and databases are the primary tools for finding which publications have information on a particular topic. Some indexes only search the content of journals while others search the content of a wide range of sources such as journals, conference proceedings, books, reports and patents. No one index searches all engineering publications. Each index searches a selected set of publications. Some such as Compendex search publications from all areas of engineering while others such as Materials Research Index search only publications in selected areas of engineering. Some databases such as the ACM Digital Library only search the publications of one publisher and often provide online access to the full text of all of the publications from that publisher. From the electronic resource index search page it is possible to search for indexes by title or by a subject such as Computers or Engineering. In addition, indexes and databases that search publications from other subject areas such as Business and Chemistry can provide information useful to engineering faculty, staff and students.
Below is a list of some of the major indexes and databases useful to engineering faculty, staff and students.
Compendex is one of the most comprehensive engineering literature databases available to engineers with 14 million records across 190 engineering disciplines. Available on Engineering Village, users get results that are consistently accurate. Relevant. Up-to-date. And easy to find. Compendex indexes 1,031 journals that contain articles-in-press. Compendex covers subjects in every engineering discipline including Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Mining Engineering.
The ACM Digital Library provide searchable access to the full-text of all of the publication from ACM f dating back to the 1950s; over 1 million pages of text including over 50,000 bibliographic citations.
Environmental Science Index 1960 -
This database indexes all of the publications of the American Society of Civil Engineers from 1975 to the present including all of their journals, conferences, books, manuals and standards. It can be searched by author, title, and keyword. To begin a search click on the “Search" button on the left side of the screen. The MSU Libraries subscribes to both the print and electronic versions of all of the ASCE journals and purchases some of the other ASCE publications in print.
IEEE/IET Electronic Library (IEL)
Provides full-text access to all of the publications of the IEEE and IET. Coverage is complete from 1988 to the present with older material being being added as more content is digitized.
Materials Science & Engineering Collection
Bibliographic coverage of serial and non-serial literature on metallurgy, ceramics, polymers, and composites used in engineering applications. In-depth coverage from raw materials and refining through processing, welding and fabrication to end uses, corrosion, performance and recycling. Includes all metals, alloys, polymers, ceramics, and composites. Includes the Materials Business Data File.
Includes the Institute for Scientific Information Citation Indexes - Arts and Humanities, Social Science, and Science. It indexes science, social sciences, and arts and humanities information from nearly 9,300 of the most prestigious, high impact research journals in the world.