Research Guides: Materials Science & Engineering: Databases

Recommended Databases

The following are recommended databases for locating scholarly articles, dissertations, theses, and conference papers for this subject.

Advanced Technologies & Aerospace Database This link opens in a new window
Provides citations, abstracts and some full text articles to aeronautics, astronautics, computer & information technology, meteorology, communications and space sciences journal articles, conference proceedings, NASA documents, and technical reports.
Search Tips
- Use an asterisk (*) at the end of the root of a word to find all variants: automat* will find automate, automated, automatic, and automation.
- Enclose terms in quotation marks to search for exact phrases: “crew resource management.”
- Use connectors AND, OR, NOT to separate terms and phrases: "flight crew" AND fatigue.
- To locate a complete issue of a journal, click on Publications at the top of the screen.
ASCE Library This link opens in a new window
Research from the American Society of Civil Engineers, including journals, conference proceedings, books and standards.
Good to Know
- The ASCE Library default interface searches only full-text ASCE journals, books and proceedings.
- Access full text by clicking on the PDF image of a document.
- The Civil Engineering Database (CEDB) searches all ASCE publications, both full-text and citation/abstract.
Search Tips
- Click on the magnifying glass in the upper right corner to open the Search box.
- Enter subject terms in the Search box to locate documents.
- Enclose terms in quotation marks to search for exact phrases: “climate change”
- Use the Journals, Books, Proceedings, or Standards icons in the center of the page to limit results to those document types.
- Click on a document title to view the complete citation/abstract and access Full Text viewing and downloading options (if available).
- To search the entire database via the CEDB, scroll to the SERVICES section in the lower right corner of the page, then click on Civil Engineering Database.
ScienceDirect This link opens in a new window
Scholarly journals and ebooks in the areas of physical sciences, engineering, life sciences, health sciences, social sciences and humanities.
Search Tips
- Browse for or search within specific topic areas using the ScienceDirect Topics homepage.
- Variants of root words will be searched automatically. No special character is needed.
- Connect search terms with AND, OR, NOT:: pilot? AND fatigue.
- Enclose terms in quotation marks to search for exact phrases: “sleep deprivation”
Scopus This link opens in a new window
Abstracts and citations of scholarly articles in the fields of life science, health science, physical science, and social science.
Search Tips
- Use an asterisk (*) at the end of the root of a word to find all variants: automat* will find automate, automated, automatic, etc.
- Enclose terms in quotation marks to search for exact phrases: “crew resource management”.
- Connect search terms with AND OR, NOT: automat* AND glass cockpit*.
- The "Cited by" column lists the number of times a document has been cited by other documents in Scopus.
- Use the "Sort on" drop down menu and select Cited by to arrange the results by number of citations.
- From any results page, select the documents you're interested in and click View citation overview to see graphical data on citation activity.
- For help using and searching in the database, click on the question mark icon in the upper right corner of the screen.
SPIE Digital Library This link opens in a new window
Optics and photonics technical papers from SPIE journals and conference proceedings.
Good to Know
Create an optional, free personal account by clicking Sign In in the upper right corner of any SPIE database page. A personal account allows users to set up email alerts, track favorite publications, and access institutional subscriptions when away from work or school.
Search Tips
- To perform a basic search, enter search terms in the text box and click the Search icon.
- Enclose terms in quotation marks to search for exact phrases: “solar cells”
- Use an asterisk (*) at the end of the root of a word to find all variants: imag* will find image, images, imaging, etc.
- Click on Advanced Search to access additional search fields such as Author, Document Title, Figure & Table Captions, Date Range, and more.
- Click on the links titled Papers, Presentations, Journals, or eBooks to browse or search documents in those categories.
Web of Science This link opens in a new window
Provides access to citation/abstract details for hundreds of thousands of worldwide publications such as journals (including open access journals), conference papers, books, and book chapters. Includes journal impact factors in the Journal Citation Reports tab.
Good to Know
- To create a free Web of Science account, click the Register icon in the upper right corner of the page.
- To use advanced features such as saved searches, alerts, etc., sign in with a Web of Science username and password.
- Click the Question Mark icon in the lower right corner of any page to access a variety of help options.
- Web of Science includes a subscription to Journal Citation Reports (JCR), a tool which analyzes citation references, measures research influence and impact at the journal and category levels, and shows the relationship between citing and cited journals. To learn more about the JCR, please see the following sources:
  - Journal Citation Reports Quick Reference Guide
  - Journal Citation Reports: Learn the Basics
Search Tips
- To search the full range of dates back to 1980, change the Search in: field to All Databases.
- To perform a simple keyword search on a topic, enter the desired term(s) in the text box in the center of the page. Change the field to search in or add rows or date ranges as desired.
- Use an asterisk (*) at the end of the root of a word to find all variants: climat* will find climate, climatic, climatology, etc.
- Enclose terms in quotation marks to search for exact phrases: “climate change”
- After results are retrieved, use the Refine Results options on the left side of the page to get more focused, relevant information.
- Click the AUTHORS or CITED REFERENCES tabs or the Advanced Search link for more search options.

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Browse Databases

The following are recommended databases for locating technical reports (technical and scientific research) on this subject.

DTIC Online: Public Technical Reports This link opens in a new window
Searches declassified Department of Defense and government-funded scientific, technical, engineering, and business-related documents from the Defense Technical Information Center.
Good to Know
- Documents are sometimes reclassified and no longer accessible.
- Click on a document title to view the citation/abstract page. If the item is available full-text, a link titled View the full text of this report will be present.
- Some documents are hundreds of pages. Please check the pagination (found on the citation/abstract page) before downloading to ensure sure your Internet connection can accomodate it.
- DTIC does not support wildcard (truncation) searching.
Search Tips
- For a general topic search, enter desired search terms in the box labeled Search this site, DoD S&T Reports, and more... in the upper center of the page: aircraft pilot fatigue
- Enclose terms in quotation marks to search for exact phrases: “joint strike fighter”
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) This link opens in a new window
NASA-created and NASA-funded materials including conference papers, NACA documents, images, journal articles, photos, meeting papers, patents, research reports, and technical videos.
Good to Know
Depending on length, documents may take a while to open in pdf format.

Search Tips
- Enter your search terms and click on Search.
- Enclose terms in quotation marks to search for exact phrases: “crew resource management”.
- Commas and dashes are removed from the search by the search engine.
National Technical Reports Library (NTRL) This link opens in a new window
U.S. government-funded scientific, technical, engineering, and business information from more than 200 U.S. government agencies.
Search Tips
- Enclose terms in quotation marks to search for exact phrases: "crew resource management".
- Connect search terms with AND: automation AND cockpit

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Browse Databases

eBook Databases

AccessEngineering This link opens in a new window
McGraw-Hill resources and publications including instructional videos and classic books such as Marks’ Standard Handbook for Mechanical Engineers and Perry’s Chemical Engineers Handbook.
Good to Know
- To create a free AccessEngineering account, click on the My account button on the right side of the AccessEngineering homepage. Then, choose Log in via email/username and click on Register.
- To use features including printing, document downloading, and annotating text, sign in with an AccessEngineering username and password.
- Downloadable Excel Spreadsheet Calculators covering a range of common calculations across several disciplines are available. Click on Spreadsheets.
- If you have access issues, clear your browser's cache and cookies. If you are using the Chrome browser, please try an alternate browser such as Firefox.
Search Tips
- To conduct a search with multiple terms or phrases, use connectors AND, OR, NOT to separate terms and phrases: paper AND core
- Use an asterisk (*) at the end of the root of a word to find all variants: automat* will find automate, automated, automatic, and automation.
- Enclose terms in quotation marks to search for exact phrases: "paper core”
- To view other sections available in a book, click on the book title (Source) below the citation.
- To view resources in a particular subject area, click on the Subject button, then the desired subject, and then Browse Selected.
- Pop-up blockers may interfere, so please allow pop-ups.
- For help in searching this database, click on the Help link at the top of the page.
ASM Handbooks Online This link opens in a new window
Information on ferrous and non-ferrous metals and materials technology.
Good to Know
- The database searches across all ASM handbooks some of which may not be available in full text.
- A green check enclosed in a circle icon quickly alerts you of full text access; a shopping cart icon means no access.
- On a search results page, under Update Search, scroll to the very bottom of the menu to limit or narrow your results to content that is full text by selecting the Available, Open Access or Free boxes.
- All ASM handbooks and the ASM Desk Editions are available in full text.
Search Tips
- Search by material name, tradename, or designation by using the search box in the top center of the screen.
- Enclose terms in quotation marks to search for exact phrases: “copper alloys”
- Use an asterisk (*) at the end of the root of a word to find all variants: cast* will find cast, casting, castability, etc.
- Connect search terms with AND: Aluminum AND alloys
Taylor & Francis eBooks This link opens in a new window
Full-text ebooks from publishers CRC Press, Routledge, and more, on topics including engineering, technology, international relations, business, and computer science.
Good to Know
Titles with the "Coming soon" message are not currently available. See the "eBook Published" date on the book profile page for availability.

Search Tips:
- Use the search box at the top of the page to search by keywords, authors, titles, or ISBN
- Use the limiters on the left to narrow down results: Subject, Collection, Publication Date, Imprint (Publisher), or Authors
- Enclose terms in quotation marks to search for exact phrases: “decision making”
- Connect search terms with AND: engineering AND systems
- From a book's profile page, click Read Online to view a page-by-page full-text version of the book online or click Download to download a complete PDF version
Ebook Central This link opens in a new window
Extensive collection of ebooks on a variety of subjects, such as aviation and human factors.
Good to Know
- Bookshelves are based on your ERNIE login. (Older versions of bookshelves were overridden.)
- A separate Ebook Central account is no longer required for the use of Bookshelf, highlighting, and downloading features.
- You can add books to your Bookshelf by clicking on the Add to Bookshelf link located on the left of the book’s Detail Page or by placing a bookmark on any page within the book.
- For most books the print/download limit is 40% of the book's pages. Printing or downloading a chapter or page range do the same thing and deduct in the same way based on the pages allowed. Both options create a PDF that does not expire.
- Check the "Availability" section, on the Detail Page, or in the Book Details side panel to see how many copies are available and if it is for Online reading or Download, or both.
- You can change the language of the interface by clicking on Settings in the naviagation bar and clicking on Language. Choose your language and save the changes.
Search Tips
- Enclose terms in quotation marks to search for exact phrases: “crew resource management.”
- Use connectors AND, OR, NOT to separate terms and phrases: "flight crew" AND fatigue. Connectors must be capitalized.
- Use an asterisk (*) at the end of a word root to find all variants: automat* will find automate, automated, automatic, and automation.
- Click the Read Online button to view the full text of a book. Or, click on Full Download to download, if available.
- Use the table of contents or navigational arrows to browse.
- Use the "Search within book" search box to search for a term or phrase within the book.
- For help using and searching in the database, click the question mark icon (?) in the upper right corner, or use their Help Guide
Request Items
- Books not available full text online in this database may be available in print. Search for the title in EAGLEsearch to see if the library owns a print copy. Visit the Borrow and Renew (Access Services - Circulation) page for help in checking out material.
- If you see that a book is "Available on request," you may read the book online for up to 5 minutes; click Read Online to do so.
- Click on the Request button or request this book link to fill out the form to request the library purchase it if you cannot locate it in our catalog.
eBook Collection (EBSCOhost) This link opens in a new window
Books on varying topics related to humanities, leadership, management, accounting, and engineering.
Good to Know
- To create a free account, click on Sign In at the top of the page and then click on Create one now or sign in with an existing Google account.
- To use the book download, notes, and folder features, users must create a free account and sign in.
- The number of pages that can be printed from any book depends on the book. After you click on Print Pages or the Download symbol for a section, a box will appear telling you the total allowable number of pages that can be printed.
Search Tips
- Use AND to combine search terms so that each search result contains all of the terms. For example, military AND ethics.
- Enclose terms in quotation marks to search them as an exact phrase, “international security.”
- Use the asterisk (*) to find variant endings of a word root. For example, secur* will find secure, security, securities, etc.
- To broaden your search to include words related to your keywords, check the box next to "Apply related words" under the Search Options section in Advanced Search.
- Look for bolded words to see where your search terms were found in the book.
- Click on PDF Full Text or EPUB Full Text to view the entire book.
- Click on Download to download and view the book later. Downloaded ebooks open with Adobe Digital Editions. For more help in using this feature, please visit the Downloading an eBook help page.
- Click on Table of Contents to see a listing of the book’s sections and chapters. Then, click on a chapter title to view the chapter.
- Use the bar of options located along the top of the full text to search within, print, email, etc.
- For help in using and searching this database, click on Help in the upper right-hand corner.

Video Databases

Engineering Case Studies Online This link opens in a new window
Documentaries, accident reports, case studies, lectures and interviews on engineering failures and successes. Now part of Academic Video Online.
Examples of engineering failures include, but are not limited to:
- Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster
- Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
- Chernobyl Disaster
- Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster
- Air France Flight 4590
- Apollo 13
- TWA Flight 800
Good to Know
- A current version of Adobe Flash Player is required to use this database.
- Titles play in their entirety by default, but they can be played by clip when available.
Search Tips
Connect search terms with AND: concorde AND accident
FedFlix This link opens in a new window
United States Government videos covering a variety of topics from various departments and agencies.
Films On Demand This link opens in a new window
Educational films and documentaries for all academic disciplines. Content from PBS, TED, the BBC, National Geographic and more.
Good to Know
- Titles play in their entirety by default, but can be played by segments.
- To create a Films On Demand account, click on the Your Profile link in the upper right corner in desktop view or on the menu icon in mobile view.
- By creating an account you can create customized playlists, which can be shared by a persistent URL.
Search Tips
- Use an asterisk (*) at the end of the root of a word to find all variants: vision* will find vision, visionary, visioning, etc.
- Enclose terms in quotation marks to search for exact phrases: "virtual reality".
- Browse by Subjects, Popular Categories, or Featured Producers by clicking on the menu icon.
- For help using and searching this database, click on Help in the lower left corner.

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Materials Science & Engineering

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Recommended Databases

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Video Databases

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