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Home > Research Help > Engineering > meche_freshmen > infortypes.html
 | Books | Conference Papers| Journal Articles | Patents | Standards | Tech Reports |
| | - A very broad definition would include handbooks, data books, reference books, encyclopedias, dictionaries, textbooks, manufacturers' catalogs, single monographs, and more.
- Due to the length of time it takes to publish a book, they are generally not where one finds cutting edge science. Books tend to cover topics that are established, or standards and protocols on a topic. For scientists and engineers, books are good place to find background information on a topic. They can provide statistics, formulas, physical properties, and additional references for further reading.
- Use the JHU Libraries Catalog. Always remember if we don't own it we can borrow it for you from another library through Interlibrary Loan.
Back to top | | - Conference papers are research that is presented at professional society meetings. Most professional societies sponsor at least one conference each year.
Some societies, such as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) or the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) sponsor many, many conference each year through various divisions. These conferences produce thousands of papers annually.
- Often before research is published in journals, researchers will present their initial findings at conferences. These papers can be a good indication of what is new in the field.
- Most major conferences are indexed by the big databases in their respective fields. The majority of ASME conference papers are indexed in Compendex. You can also find citations to conference papers on the Web, but not every society makes their papers available this way.
Once you find a citation for a conference paper the next step can sometimes be a bit harder. Tips on finding conference papers.
Back to top | | - Researchers in science and engineering "talk" to each other by publishing the results of the research in scholarly journals in their respective fields.
For centuries it has been the primary way that scientific research has been communicated. Journal articles are an important way keep abreast of what is happening in a field.
Today new forms of scholarly communication are supplementing journal articles. It is important for you to know where the scholarly research is being presented in the field you are studying. Talk to your professors about Web sites that you have questions about. Always evaluate the Web site.
- Generally, finding journal articles is a two step process - you search a database then link to the full text or find a hard copy. Searching a database allows you to search across hundreds of journals. Searching individual journals limits you to information in that journal only. Tips on finding journal articles.
NOTE: Many journals are not indexed by Web search engines so don't limit your search for journal articles to just using Google or Yahoo - you need to use a database.
Back to top | | - In the US, a patent is a right granted by the government to an inventor to exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, or selling the invention throughout the US or importing the invention into the US for a limited time in exchange for public disclosure of the invention when the patent is granted.
- Engineers use patents to answer a number of questions including, is anyone else working on this problem, is this process being used elsewhere, or is this product already on the market.
Patents are also excellent sources of technical information about a product. Most of the technical information you can find in a patent is never written about in other literature.
- Start at the US Patent and Trademark Office Web site. Chemical Patents can be found searching the database SciFinder Scholar. Tips for finding patents.
Back to top | | - Standards provide technical definitions and guidelines for designers and manufacturers. Codes are basically rules on how certain things must be done in order to comply with federal, state, or local practice or laws.
- Standards and codes serve as a common language, define quality, and ensure safety criteria. They provide ratings, terminology, testing, and performance requirements for products and services.
- This isn't always easy. Most engineering and technology organizations produce some type of standard. Start by searching the JHU Libraries catalog. Tips for finding standards. Don't forget - you can ask your departmental librarian for help.
Back to top | | - Technical reports communicate the results of progress and research in various science and technology fields. In the past, reports were often simply the reporting of government-sponsored research, they are now used as a means of communicating information for technical development throughout the world.
- Engineers use tech reports to find things like environmental site clean up processes, technical innovations, health and safety reports, business and management studies, or how other engineers are solving problems.
- The National Technical Information Service (NTIS) maintains a permanent repository of unclassified scientific, technical, engineering, and business information. Tips on finding technical reports.
Back to top | | Contact the librarian for Mechanical Engineering Liz Mengel |
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