Nuclear Engineering
How do I Find? | Write & Cite | Useful Websites | Glossary of Library Terms
HOW DO I find particular types of resources?
Articles (scholarly, peer-reviewed, trade, popular)
Books
E-Books & Handbooks
Conference papers & proceedings
Data or Statistical information
Dissertations & theses
Government Documents
Journals & magazines
News reports (industry & trade)
Technical Reports/Papers
Reference works
To find ARTICLES, papers, etc. on a research topic, search or browse one or more of the following databases:
TIP: When the full text (html or pdf) is not present, click on the "Find Text@TAMU" (or SFX) link for article or paper retrieval options
TIP: Some of the databases listed below are journal databases; be aware that the journals in these databases are also indexed in indexing/abstracting databases such as Compendex, Inspec, etc.
ACM Portal (computer science) -- full text
APS (Journals of the American Physical Society)
Applied Science & Technology (Wilson)
Compendex (on Ei Village)
Cambridge Scientific Abstracts (CSA)
- Technology Research Database (contains the 3 components):
Fluidex -- fluid engineering
IEEE Electronic Library -- full text
Inspec (on Ei Village)
Institute of Physics Journals
Materials Science -- SAGE Full text Collection (CSA)
MathSciNet
Mechanical Engineering Abstracts (CSA)
SciFinder Scholar -- chemistry
Science Citation Index (Web of Science)
Science Direct -- full text
Science & Technology Collection (Ebsco)
Scopus
SIAM Journals Online -- applied math -- full text
SPIE Electronic Library -- full text
Web of Science (Science Citation Index) -- describes journal articles only
To Find Electronic BOOKS & HANDBOOKS (2 options):
Option 1: Search LibCat, the libraries online catalog:
Step 1: enter words in the search terms box
Step 2: choose a search type (keyword, title keyword, title starts with, etc.)
Step 3 (optional) on the LibCat search screen: "Limit your search" to World Wide Web)
Notice that LibCat records for e-books have the phrase "electronic resource" in the titles.
Option 2: Access & search (or browse) one of the libraries' e-book collections (databases):
ASM Handbooks Online (materials science)
CRC ChemNetBase (chemistry)
CRC EngNetBase (engineering handbooks)
Ebrary (multidisciplinary)
Knovel (science & engineering; includes materials science)
NetLibrary (multidisciplinary)
Referex (engineering)
Safari Tech Books Online -- computer manuals, C++ programming, etc.
SpringerLink Books
To Find CONFERENCE PAPERS/PROCEEDINGS (3 options):
Option 1: Browse or Search one of the following FULL TEXT databases:
ACM Portal (computer science)
IEEE Xplore (engineering & computer science)
Meetings on Atomic Energy -- e-journal
SPIE Electronic Library
Option 2 (find proceedings):
Search the literature for conference papers on a topic by searching one, or more of the indexing/abstracting databases below:
TIP 1: Limit search to conference papers
TIP 2: Use the "Find text@TAMU" (or SFX) link to find the text of the paper, or to request a paper through Get it for me.
Applied Science & Technology (Wilson)
Compendex (on Ei Village)
Cambridge Scientific Abstracts (CSA)
Fluidex -- fluid engineering
- Biotechnology & Bioengineering Abstracts
- Technology Research Database (contains the 3 components)
Inspec (on Ei Village) engineering & physics
MathSciNet
Mechanical Engineering Abstracts (CSA)
PapersFirst
SciFinder Scholar -- chemistry
Scopus
Option 3 (Find proceedings):
Search LibCat, the libraries' online catalog.
Use this option if you have the name/title of a conference -- do a keyword search on words from the conference name/title -- do NOT search for the title of the individual conference paper in LibCat. For help finding conference proceedings, come to Evans Reference (1st floor), or contact the nuclear engineering reference librarian (Jane Stephens).
To Find DATA and/or statistical information, search or browse one or more of the following:
ADAMS (Agencywide Documents Management System) -- Nculear Regulatory Commission
ASM Alloy Center
ASM Alloy Phase Diagram Center
ASM Failure Analysis Center
ASM Handbooks (material science)
ASM Materials Information Online - try the advanced search
ASM Micrograph Center
Atomic Data & Nuclear Data Tables (e-journal)
CINDAS properties: Thermophysical; Aerospace Structural; Microelectronics Packaging
CRC ChemNetBase -- includes Handbook of Chemistry & Physics
CRC EngNetBase -- e-book database
Knovel -- science & engineering books -- try the advanced search when looking for data
LexisNexis Statistical
Microelectronics Packaging Materials Database (CINDAS)
National Nuclear Data Center
NIST Data Gateway
Nuclear Data Sheets
Nuclear Energy Data
Perry's Chemical Engineers' Handbook
T-2 Nuclear Information Service (LANL) -- Data
Table of Nuclides -- mass, half life, decay scheme, cross sections
Thermophysical Properties of Matter Database (CINDAS)
To find DISSERTATIONS & THESES, search one or more of the following:
Index to Theses
LibCat, the libraries' online catalog
ProQuest Dissertations & Theses -- national & international -- some full text
TAMU Digital Library (formerly TxSpace; ~2000 to present)
WorldCat -- national, international. When not owned by TAMU, request via Get it for me
To find GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS, search one of the following:
Government Periodicals Index
Google Uncle Sam
GPO Access
GPO Monthly Catalog (OCLC)
LibCat, TAMU's online catalog
NTIS -- government sponsored research reports. Documents on microfiche
Stinet
WorldCat -- library holdings worldwide
To find JOURNALS & MAGAZINES (4 options):
Option 1: List of journals for nuclear engineering
Option 2: Electronic journal packages (search or browse)
Option 3: Search LibCat
Option 4: Search E-journal list
Option 1: List of journals relevant to nuclear engineering:
American Nuclear Society Journals:
- Fusion Science & Technology (online), or TK9204 .N82 (print)
- Fusion Technology, or TK9204 .N82 (print)
- Nuclear Science & Engineering (online), or QC770 .N8 (print)
- Nuclear Technology
- Wastewater Solutions
Health Physics: Official Journal of the Health Physics Society -- not available electronically, request PDF copies of articles through Get it for me
Option 2 (find journals or magazines): Search or browse one of the following electronic journal packages:
ACM Portal (computer science)
ANS (American Nuclear Society Journals)
APS (Journals of the American Physical Society)
IEEE Xplore
Institute of Physics Journals
JSTOR
Materials Science -- SAGE Full text
Science Direct
SIAM Journals Online -- applied math
SPIE Electronic Library
SpringerLink
Wiley Journals
Option 3 (find journals): Search LibCat for journal/magazine titles:
Step 1: Access LibCat, the libraries' online catalog
Step 2: Enter search terms in search terms box -- enter the title of the journal or keywords from the title (depending on step 3).
Step 3: Choose a search type (journal title starts with or journal title keyword)
TIP: For a journal title starts with search, omit initial articles. For example, the journal title: The Journal of the Whatnot Society is entered as: journal of the whatnot society.
Option 4: Search for electronic journals owned by TAMU libraries:
Step 1: Access the e-journals search and follow the rest of these steps:
Step 2: enter keywords from the title of the journal
Step 3: Review results list
TIP 1: Notice the "available online from" information -- if you need 1997 and the available online from specifies 2000 to present, the library does NOT have access to 1997.
TIP 2: If the results screen displays the message "sorry no results found," search LibCat (option 3 above). Journals, or articles not owned by A&M can be requested through Get it for me.
TIP 3: If the library does not own a journal, make a purchase recommendation for it.
To Find NEWS REPORTS (industry & trade), search one or more of the following databases:
ABI Inform
Business & Industry (RDS)
Business Source Complete
Information Circular -- International Atomic Energy Agency (e-journal)
LexisNexis Academic
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
TableBase (RDS)
To Find TECHNICAL reports/papers (2 options):
Option 1: Search through the literature:
Compendex
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
GPO Access
Inspec
NTIS -- government funded research (use the accession # to find the microform)
Science.gov or WorldScience.org
STINET
To Find REFERENCE WORKS
Cindas (3 property databases)
CRC ChemNetBase
CRC EngNetBase
Knovel -- science & engineering
Write & Cite
Writing Resources:
- TAMU Writing Center
- Books on Communication in Engineering
- Books on Technical writing for engineers & scientists
Managing Citations:
-
Bibliographic Management Software (manage references, format bibliography)
-
EndNote Software free from TAMU -- click on "Software Store"
Finding & Evaluating Journals in my Field:
-
Journal citation Reports -- use to estimate a journal's impact
-
H index (Scopus) -- use to estimate an author's impact
Useful Websites
- American Nuclear Society
- Health Physics Society
- Institute of Nuclear Materials Management
- Nuclear Energy Institute
- Nuclear Regulatory Commission
- US Department of Energy
Useful Definitions (library jargon glossary)
Article—scholarly: See periodical
Book—scholarly:
A book that covers a specialized topic, written by a expert in the field and that is intended to be read by people in that field. Clues (not absolutes) that indicate that a book is scholarly include the author affiliations indicating expertise, university press imprints, books edited by one or more experts in the field. These books usually have references or a bibliography.
Indexing/abstracting database:
This particular category of database contains citations (descriptions) of material (articles, conference papers, book chapters) usually in a particular subject area, but sometimes in multiple areas. Searching one or more of these databases is the first step in performing a literature review; it leads to the identification of relevant material (journal articles, conference papers, books, etc.), but does not necessarily to retrieval of the documents (articles, papers, etc.) themselves. When the actual article is not present with the citation, use the "Find text@TAMU" button sometimes seen as SFX) for document (articles, papers,etc.) retrieval options. Remember that Get it for me will scan articles into pdf files when TAMU has the print (paper) format but no electronic access to it.
Journal: see periodical
Library Catalog:
A comprehensive list of material (books, journals, magazines, maps, newspapers, directories, proceedings, DVDs, etc.) owned by one or more libraries. WorldCat is a catalog for many libraries around the world. LibCat is the catalog for the A&M libraries' collections (Evans, the Annex, WCL, PSEL, & Cushing). The catalog allows retrieval of bibliographic records (descriptions) via a variety of access points (i.e. search types such as: author, title, subject heading, call number), and also via keyword. The material itself is then retrieved using the location and call number, or the URL, etc. provided in the LibCat record (bibliographic record).
Periodical – Journal – Magazine:
Publications that are issued on a regular (periodic) basis, such as: weekly, monthly, semi-monthly, bimonthly, etc. These publications contain articles (feature, or short), book reviews, etc.
Trade magazine: "A periodical devoted to disseminating news and information of interest to a specific category of business or industry, often published by a trade association."
Scholarly journal: A periodical devoted to disseminating original research and commentary on current developments in a specific discipline, sub-discipline, or field of study… Journal articles are usually written by the person (or persons) who conducted the research. Longer than most magazine articles, they almost always include a bibliography or list of works cited at the end. In journals in the sciences and social sciences, an abstract usually precedes the text of the article, summarizing its content. Most scholarly journals are peer-reviewed.
Peer review is the process by which one's peers (experts in a given field) evaluate the article prior to its publication.
Popular Magazines: "A popular interest periodical usually containing articles on a variety of topics, written by various authors in a non-scholarly style. Most magazines are heavily illustrated, contain advertising, and are printed on glossy paper…." Examples are: Time; Newsweek; Discover.
Quotes & definition source: OLIS: Reitz, J.M. Online Dictionary for Library and Information Science. Viewed August 27, 2008 http://lu.com/odlis/about.cfm
