Fogler Guide to Materials Science

The following are selected resources that are available at Fogler Library or on the Internet. If you have questions about finding information related to Materials Science, please contact the Science and Engineering Center: 581-1691 or email Martin Wallace. Or use our Ask a Librarian service.

CONTENTS

Indexes & Databases

Use these databases to locate citations or full text for journal articles, conference papers, technical reports and theses. Once you have located relevant articles, search URSUS by journal or book title to determine if Fogler Library owns the item. We may own journals in print or online or both formats. Need to check the record listed as Serials (for print holdings) and E-Serials (for electronic holdings). Must click on the "Restricted Access UM" link to see the online holdings. If we do not own the item you need, consider requesting through Interlibrary Loan. Remember most of the articles listed in these databases cannot be located by using a regular web browser such as Google. These databases provide the means to locating scholarly research articles.

Tips for Searching:

• Use truncation to allow for the various spellings of a word. Truncation symbol for most databases is the * (asterisk). For example: Comput* will retrieve: computer, computing, computers, computational, etc.
• Use double quotes to search for an exact phrase: "fiber reinforced" will retrieve much more precise results. Searching without quotes in most databases yields a search for - fiber and reinforced. Finds the words anywhere in the same record not as a phrase.
• Check the length of the article. Would probably not want to pursue articles under 3 pages unless you are looking for news items to gather information on companies or research labs making news.
• Use synonyms and acronyms to make your search more comprehensive. Link synonyms with 'or' operator. For example: fiber reinforced plastic* or fibre reinforced plastic* or frp*
• Link concepts with the 'and' operator. Use parentheses to group synonyms together when using one search box. For example: (glued-laminated beam* or glulam* or wood laminat*) and (bridge* or girder* or deck panel* )
• When you have located some relevant articles, review the abstract and subject headings of these records. Utilize subject headings for more precise results. Most databases you can click on a subject heading for a new search and then refine this new search with additional keywords.
• Utilize the bibliography at the end of relevant research papers to expand your list of resources. Some of these references may have errors. It has been found that 20% of the references cited will have an error.
• Utilize relevant research papers and use citation searching through the Web of Science database to locate more recent papers that have cited this older paper. Can also utilize Google and Scirus to search the full-text of research articles to find additional references. Great way to bring your research results more up-to-date and locate new terminology for searching.

Most relevant databases:

• Compendex (Engineering Index). Coverage is 1970 - Present. The best multidisciplinary engineering database that indexes over 5000 engineering journals, conferences and technical reports. Use their subject headings to obtain more precise results. Access is provided by the following indexes: author, author's affiliation (university or company), keywords from the abstract and title, subject terms and source title (journal or conference title). Compendex is part of the Engineering Village. This service also provides specialized indexing of the Internet, a technical standards database, and a link to the U.S. Patent Database. Print copy at Sci Index TA1.E6, 1884 - 1995.
• ASCE Research Library. PARTIAL FULL TEXT DATABASE. The ASCE Research Library is a full text database that covers 1995 to the present of ASCE journals and proceedings. The Civil Engineering Database covers ASCE documents published 1970 to present. It provides access to all the journals, conference proceedings, books, standards, manuals, magazines, and newsletters. A unique feature of the database is that it links discussions, closures, and erratas back to the original records. For coverage prior to 1970, use the "Cumulative Index to ASCE Publications," 1950 - 1979. Print copy at Sci Index TA1.A53.
• Forest Products Abstracts. Coverage from 1978 to present. Part of CAB Direct.
  Index to all aspects of the forest products literature including wood properties, timber extraction, conversion, and measurement, damage, utilization, veneers, composite boards, laminated products, the pulp industry, and marketing and trade economics. See the Search Tips in the CAB Direct Help.
• Forest Products Laboratory. Maintain database of online reports and journal articles. Full text for many online reports including Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material.
• Forest Service Database. Reports and research from the U.S. Forest Service. Coverage back to 1904.
• Proquest Digital Dissertations. Indexes dissertations and theses written by graduates of North American and European universities. The complete text of dissertations written at the University of Maine after 1996 is included.
• Web of Science. Coverage is 1900 to present. Online version of Science Citation Index, Social Sciences Citation Index and Arts and Humanities Citation Index. Citation searching provides one method for bringing your list of references more up- to- date. Take your most important known papers and use this index to determine if they have been cited by more recent journal articles. They index over 8,500 journals but do not include technical reports, conference papers or theses.
• WoodWire. FULL TEXT DATABASE. From Random Lengths Publications, Inc. News resources for the wood products industry. Also contains price, production, and trade data and merger and acquisitions news.
• INSPEC. Coverage is 1969 - Present. Provides worldwide coverage of the research literature for the fields of physics, electrical engineering, electronics, computer hardware and software, control engineering and information technology. It is produced by the Institution of Electrical Engineers, Great Britain. Literature is reviewed from over 3,500 journals and 1,500 conference proceedings each year. Database is updated weekly. Searching in combination with Compendex is recommended and utilize the "Remove Duplicates" feature. INSPEC User Manual.

Additional useful databases:

• ACS Journal Archives. Full Text of all ACS journals from volume 1 up until 5 years ago. Includes important titles: Chemistry of Materials, Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, Journal of Natural Products, Langmuir, and Macromolecules. Provides for locating a known citation or searching by author, keywords or the full text of the articles.
• Academic Search Premier. PARTIAL FULL TEXT DATABASE. Provides full text for over 3,200 scholarly publications covering academic areas of study including social sciences, humanities, education, computer sciences, engineering, and mathematics. Good resource for a few basic articles on a topic. This database is designed for undergraduate research. For a more comprehensive search, search Academic Search Premier, Business Source Premier and Master File Premier at the same time. Select the Choose Databases link in the EBSCO interface to select multiple databases.
• Building Materials by McGraw-Hill Sweet's. Comprehensive resource for products and services for the construction industry. Searchable by company name, trade name, product, or by one or more of 16 subject divisions, access is provided to detailed information about the product or company with direct links to company websites and product descriptions on those websites.
• Chemical Abstracts. (Sci Index QD7.C44) Online access now available through SciFinder Scholar, 1907 to present. Software needs to be loaded on your computer to utilize SciFinder Scholar. We have a contract for just one user at a time but the service is available almost 24/7. This is the major indexing source for the worldwide chemical literature. Published by the American Chemical Society. Approximately 14,000 journals are monitored, plus patents, conference proceedings, and other types of literature.
• Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). Provides access to the full text of over 1100 free scholarly journals. Some journals are searchable at the article level. Also provides access by broad subject areas.
• DTIC (Defense Technical Information Center) Scientific and Technical Information Network. Access to all unclassified, unlimited citations to documents added into DTIC from late December 1974 to present, many from 1998 to present in full text.
• Fire Research Information Services (FRIS). FIREDOC database. PARTIAL FULL TEXT DATABASE. Made available by the Building and Fire Research Laboratory BFRL), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). BFRL Publications since 1994 are available in full-text. FIREDOC indexes over 55,000 reports, articles and proceedings.
• Georef. Coverage: 1785+ for North America and 1933+ for the rest of the world. Produced by the American Geological Institute, it covers geology and related disciplines including: geochemistry, geophysics, hydrology, mineralogy, and paleontology. Indexes over 3,500 journals as well as books, reports, theses and dissertations, maps, and conference proceedings and corresponds to the following print indexes: Bibliography and Index of North American Geology, Bibliography of Theses in Geology, Geophysical Abstracts, Bibliography and Index of Geology Exclusive of North America, and the Bibliography and Index of Geology. Updated monthly. Print copy located at Sci Index QE1.G2145
• Google Scholar. Beta version, under construction. Indexes scholarly literature, including peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, preprints, abstracts and technical reports. Google Scholar includes articles from a variety of academic publishers, professional societies, preprint repositories and universities. They rank results based on their relevance criteria.
• IEEE Xplore. IEEE Xplore is a searchable database which includes the 130+ journals published by the IEEE and IEE and also their conference proceedings and the current edition of IEEE standards. Indexing extends back to 1988 for all journals and conference proceedings and further back to 1950 for selected publications. Full text of IEEE journal articles is available for 1998 to present. Full text is not available through IEEE Xplore for the IEE journals or IEEE and IEE conference proceedings and standards. Check URSUS to determine our holdings of these publications. The database allows simple keyword and phrase searching or complex search queries employing a variety of operators. Tables of contents are available for browsing and there is also a useful alerting service. Register to have an email alert sent of the table of contents when a new issue is published. We have contracted for 5 simultaneous users.
• MasterFILE Premier. PARTIAL FULL TEXT DATABASE. Provides full text for over 1,830 general reference, business, consumer health, general science. Full text extends back to January, 1990. Indexing and abstracts is available for an additional 1,000 journals. Contains full text of Forest Products Journal and Wood and Wood Products.
• MathSciNet. Coverage is 1940 - Present. Searchable database of citations and abstracts of mathematical journal articles and books. It also includes full-text reviews of many of the articles. This is the electronic version of Mathematical Reviews (Sci Index QA 1 M7) and Current Mathematical Publications (shelved in Sci Periodicals). MathSciNet Guidebook. andMathSciNet Search Help.
• MInd: The Meetings Index. Provides a free databases of future national and international conferences, regional meetings, and short courses.
• MSDS Search - National Repository. FULL TEXT DATABASE. This site pulls together in one place a great many sites containing material safety data sheets. Large list of manufacturers is included.
• NTRS: NASA Technical Report Server. This database collects, archives, and disseminates aerospace information produced by NASA and other relevant worldwide research.
• National Technical Information Service (NTIS) Database. Link to their database and to the FedWorld index of U.S. government web sites.
• Science Accelerator, Office of Scientific and Technical Information, U.S. Department of Energy. Search collections of DOE research results, project descriptions, and accomplishments. These collections enable you to find out about ongoing research projects, explore significant DOE discoveries, learn about DOE Nobel Prize Winners, access and search scientific e-prints, locate science conference papers and proceedings, patents, and more.
• Science.gov. New improved gateway to U.S. government publications and web sites. 12 major science agencies are collaborating on this project. They have recently added relevancy-ranked order to the results of a search. It includes 30 databases and over 1700 web sites.
• Science Citation Index. Paper copy at Sci Index Q1.A1S36. Holdings are 1965 to present. An excellent multidisciplinary science information source which leads you to papers that cite a paper of interest, thus resulting in records for articles that you may not find using traditional subject or keyword searching. To learn how to use it, ask a Science and Engineering Center librarian. Online access is available through Web of Science. Coverage is 1900 to present.
• ScienceDirect. FULL TEXT FOR UMAINE SUBSCRIBED JOURNAL TITLES ONLY (1800+). Online access to full text from 1995 for most titles. Sign up for automatic notification when new issues are published.
• Scirus. produced by Elsevier. Use for searching instead of ScienceDirect interface. Use their Advanced search which provides many options for full text searching across a variety of databases. Excellent resource if you are not finding enough using Compendex and other abstract only databases. Allows deeper searching in the full text of the articles.
• Virtual Technical Reports Center. Maintained by the University of Maryland Libraries. Links to institutions worldwide that provide full text and indexing to their reports, dissertations, reprints and preprints.