Course: Engineering Technology 590
Topic: Research Techniques in Technical Areas
Spring 2008 -- Dr. Ralph Dirksen
Librarian: John Stierman – jp-stierman@wiu.edu
Leslie F. Malpass Library, Office 219
Phone: 298-2756
Office Hours: Monday, 3-4; Tuesday, 4-5; Wednesday, 11-12 &6-7;
Off-Campus Access Library Internet Resources: Most of the libraries' databases are proprietary (owned by third parties). As long as you are on campus, the database providers assume that you are a WIU student. If you are off-campus, the providers require proof of enrolment. If you want to access library databases off-campus, be prepared with your student id # or your ecom username and password. Call the reference desk at 309-298-2700 or 800- 413-6544.
Library Databases--Subject Specific
- ABI/Inform, 1971-
- Periodical coverage includes trade, industry, and professional publications in the following areas: accounting, banking, economics, finance, trade, investment analysis, management, and marketing. 1971-present. Many Full-Text items. ProQuest.
- Applied Science and Technology, 1983-
- Periodical coverage includes trade and industrial publications, journals issued by professional and technical societies, and specialized subject periodicals, as well as special issues such as buyers' guides, directories, and conference proceedings. 1983-present. Selected Full-Text. FIRST SEARCH.
- General Science Abstracts, 1984-
- Indexes articles from popular science magazines and professional journals. Designed for students and non-specialist. Includes reports of symposia and conferences, biographical sketches, obituaries, review articles, selected letters to the editor, and book reviews. Topics covered include: Astronomy, Chemistry, Earth Science, Health & Medicine, Zoology, etc. 1984 to present. Selected Full-Text. EBSCO.
Library Databases--Multidisciplinary
- Academic Search Premier, dates vary
- Covers a wide variety of topics, including engineering technology. EBSCO.
- Article First, 1990-
- Includes items listed on the table of contents pages of over 12,000 journals. No abstracts. NOT full-text. FIRST SEARCH.
- Expanded Academic Index ASAP
- Similar to ASP (above). Also runs back to the 1980s but on the InfoTrac interface.
- Ingenta, 1990-
- Browse the contents of 31,235 publications, many of which are in science and technology fields. Do not look for the
button. This database does not support the SFX system. You will have to go directly to the Periodicals Holdings List to check availablity.
Books and Dissertations
- Dissertation Abstracts, 1861-
- U.S., Canadian, British, and other European dissertations and theses. Full-text available into the 1980s. PROQUEST
- WestCat & I-Share Catalog
- Access the holdings of 74 Illinois Libraries (mostly academic), including WIU’s. Easy access from the library web page. To borrow a book from a non-WIU library, enter 21711 plus your student ID number. When asked for a PIN number, enter the last four digits of your student ID. You can change your PIN at any time.
- WorldCat
- The largest bibliographic catalog of English language publications in the world. Use this after you have exhausted the I-Share Catalog. Includes manuscripts written as early as the 12th century. Includes 40 million bibliographic records. FIRST SEARCH.
Subject Headings and Keywords
Most students do not know the difference between a keyword and a subject heading. At first glance you may not think that there is much of a difference, or, if there is, that the difference is not that significant. But, in fact, knowing the difference between the two can be the difference between finding the information you need and overlooking it. Check out the links below to learn more about the difference between keywords and subject headings.
Determining Full-Text Access
When you see this button, click on it to determine full-text availability. By clicking on the Find It! button you are engaging the libraries Peridocials Holdings List. The example below shows the Find It! button in a bibliographic citation. In this specific example, you need to click Find It! to learn more about full text access.
Periodicals Holdings List
If the button is not present, and you are reasonably sure that what you are dealing with is a journal, magazine or newspaper, and not a book, a chapter or a dissertation, for example, then you need to go directly to the Periodicals Holdings List. See the example below.
Citing Your Sources: Hard Copy, Internet and RefWorks
Diana Hacker’s A Pocket Style Manual features three popular formats: MLA, APA, and Chicago. Of the three listed, APA is most common for the Engineering Technology Department. For special instructions on how to cite Internet sources, see Hacker’s A Pocket Style Manual, Fourth Edition, pages 174-175. You can, of course, always consult The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (located at the Reference Desk). For Internet sources, see Chapter 17. The Reference Staff has created handouts on the three popular styles.
To manage your citations, you might consider learning how to use RefWorks. It is citation management software that is compatible with most of the University Libraries's databases. Ask me how to set up a personal account and begin filling folders with citations. You will find RefWorks on the WIU Libraries list of databases. RefWorks school code is rwwillinoisu.