1. Engineering and Materials Science 3rd Year Undergraduates
Find it! Use it! Reference it!
Academic Information for 3rd Year Projects
Engineering and Materials Science
3rd Year Undergraduates

2. S&E Teaching & Learning Support Team
James Soderman – Faculty Liaison Librarian
for Science and Engineering
Victoria Hart – Information Assistant

3. Searching for “engineering” in Google retrieves
Did you know?
Searching for “engineering” in Google retrieves
almost 1,3 billion hits
(Searched 15 March 2016)
Searching for ”engineering” in Library Discovery retrieves almost 17 millions hits.
(Searched 15 March 2016)
550 billion:
The vast majority is not found by common search engines
50 million
Most will not be applicable to what you want to research
How to go about finding relevant high-quality sources?
This is what this session will cover

4. After this session you will:
Know the importance of understanding what you are looking for - identifying the key concepts within the project and how to find information about these concepts
Be able to search a wide range of sources and information formats effectively, using Library Discovery and subject databases to refine search results to ensure relevance
Identify and search specific resources e.g. databases, for a range of information 1. 2. 3.

5. Mile End Library

6. Subjects & Support
From the Library Website investigate the Subjects and Support Link and the Webpages for Engineering and Materials Science

7. So what literature should I be looking for?

8. Academic Information Characteristics
Author: has some degree of authority in a particular field; typically holds an academic post or is a researcher
Audience: other experts in a particular field, including students of a recognised academic discipline
Purpose: advances study and research by reporting new findings or ideas; increases author’s authority and credentials in field
Example: articles published in scholarly, peer-reviewed journals such as the Annals of biomedical engineering

9. Trade Information Characteristics
Author: member of a profession or trade but not
necessarily a researcher
Audience: members of a particular field or trade
Purpose: informs, promotes, and generally strengthens the profession and enhances knowledge of current professional practice
Example: Engineering Industries Association Website

10. Information Formats Conference papers, meetings, symposia
Books including reference books such as encyclopaedias, handbooks and directories
Periodical/journal papers, also called articles
Conference papers, meetings, symposia
Postgraduate theses, called dissertations in USA

11. Information Formats Standards Reports, e.g. NASA reports Patents
Information available via the Web, e.g. engineering trade and industry information
Talk to an expert

12. Where do I start?

13. Preparation Defining your search/enquiry Developing a search strategy

14. Search Tools Library catalogues Search engines and gateways
Online databases

15. A good method of searching more. effectively is to prepare a “search
A good method of searching more effectively is to prepare a “search strategy”

16. This means choosing and organising search terms that are directly related to the subject you are researching, i.e. choosing keywords

17. Developing a Search Strategy
To build a search strategy it is useful to consider:
How can I define the subject I am researching?
How many words and short phrases can I find that describe the subject in both it’s broadest and narrowest terms?
Spend some time writing these words and phrases down and you are off to a good start…

18. Developing a Search Strategy
Many subjects are complex. You may need to break your search down into separate concepts, and carry out separate searches for each then combine the results.
piezoelectric actuators for biomedical applications - finite element analysis
Break down :
piezoelectric actuators
biomedical applications
finite element analysis

19. Developing a Search Strategy
These will need to include synonyms
and related terms
polythene
polyethylene
plastics
polymers
biomaterials
biomedical materials

20. Truncation (wildcards)
Search for word variations (eg singular/plural
or different spelling):
engineer* finds engineering, engineers etc
behavi* finds behavior, behaviour, behaving etc.
wom?n finds woman or women

21. Phrase Searching
To search for an exact phrase, enclose the phrase in quotation marks.
For example, the query "energy conservation" will retrieve records that contain the exact phrase energy conservation.

22. AND OR NOT Boolean Operators renewable AND energy
Search for articles that contain both of the search terms.
Using AND narrows your search OR
renewable OR energy
Search for articles that contain one or both of the search terms
(useful for synonyms).
Using OR broadens your search
NOT
renewable NOT energy
Search for articles that contain the first term and do not contain the second term.
Using NOT narrows your search
October 2015

23. What did you have for breakfast?

24. cereal OR toast OR tea OR coffee

25. tea AND toast

26. ( ) ( ) & (cereal OR toast) AND (tea OR coffee)

27. So what if I just need to find a fact quickly?

28. Quick Reference Information Sources
Useful sources of factual, numerical and statistical information and data. Also provide an overview of a particular subject area
Specialist dictionaries and encyclopaedias and a range of useful web-based information sources provide the above information

29. Wikipedia
A free-access and free-content online encyclopaedia which van give a good scope of a subject
HOWEVER
It is possible for anyone to edit Wikipedia
The editors stay for the most part anonymous

30. Even Wikipedia tells you to be critical
Users should be aware that not all [Wikipedia] articles are of encyclopedic quality from the start: they may contain false or debatable information.
Wikipedia:About

31. So I have a search strategy where do I search?
By Vic.
So I have a search strategy where do I search?

32. Finding Web Based Information
There is so much information available online that finding enough for your project most likely will not be a problem.
However some of the information you find could be misleading or of poor quality.

33. Evaluating Information
Who wrote the text you are reading? Can you determine the author's credentials?
WHO
What is it? Is it a journal article or perhaps a passage from an e-book, or does it come from a company report, a tweet or a newspaper article?
WHAT
Why was this text written? Consider the motives of the author – are they trying to persuade, to demonstrate or prove something?
WHY
When was it written? It is not always the case that the most recently published information is the best so think carefully about this.
WHEN
Relevant to your own work?
RELEVANCE
I work with academic colleagues and other staff
teams in the Library to ensure that research is appropriately supported – by developing the Library's print and electronic collections of books, journals, databases and audio-visual materials

34. Web Search Engines Provide huge variety of results
Look out for specific search engines which prioritise a range of good quality internet resources
Provide huge variety of results
Beware quality of information
Registering at one library gives you access to them all

35. Google Scholar http://scholar.google.co.uk/
Indexes peer reviewed, academic literature such as patents, conference proceedings, journal articles, theses and academic books.
However, still only a small proportion of literature indexed (depending on subject), and the issues highlighted above also apply

36. Using Google Scholar
There are some things we can do to make our use of Scholar more effective:
Settings (Library links, Endnote citation export, etc)
Advanced search
Search techniques
Exporting citations

37. Settings: Library Links

38. Specialist Web Search Engines http://www.wolframalpha.com/
Registering at one library gives you access to them all

39. What e-resources can the library help me to access?

40. Electronic Resources
Queen Mary subscribes to various electronic resources, also know as e-resources, including:
Electronic databases
Electronic journals (e-journals)
Elecronic books (e-books)

41. (E-)Journals Also known as periodicals Print and electronic formats
Reasons to use:
A rich source of current research information
Specific and detailed coverage of subjects
Peer-reviewed
Recommended by your lecturers

42. Example of a Journal Reference (Citation)

43. Library Discovery tool
Show them search options (Catalogue) the subject pages, including home, books , journals and database pages.

44. Why would I use databases?

45. Subject Information Databases
One of the best ways to find current and detailed information for your projects is by using a relevant subject-specific information database

46. What is Web of Science?
A multi-disciplined information database, covering mainly journals but also books, proceedings, patents and much more.
Quick facts
Updates: Weekly
• 100+ years of abstracts • Over 90 million records covering 5,300 social science publications in 55 disciplines • 800 million+ cited references • 8.2 million records across 160,000 conference proceedings

47. To access Advance Search.
Choose which collection you want to search. Extra useful if you are searching a subject with many uses.
To access Advance Search.
Focus results by using one of the search fields.
To add more search boxes
Web of Science tab > Search > select Citation Databases (SCI)
Use this field to limit the search to a certain time period 47

48. Sort the results after your requirements.
Refine your results further. It can be very useful if you are researching a topic with application in many research areas.
Sort the results after your requirements.
Check if we have full-text access to the resource. 48

49. Export the specific citation to a Reference Management Tool.
Once registered you can keep track of the article and see future additions
Read the abstract to find out if the article is relevant
Find other relevant documents
Demo how to export citations
Find suitable keywords for a broader search.

50. By Diliff (Own work) [GFDL (http://www. gnu. org/copyleft/fdl
By Diliff (Own work) [GFDL ( CC-BY-SA-3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
OTHER LIBRARIES

51. British Library http://www.bl.uk/
The British Library (BL) is the national library of the United Kingdom. It is located in London and is one of the world's largest research libraries, holding over 150 million items in all known languages and formats
All printed publications in the UK since 1911 need to be deposited here.

52. Other Libraries
Senate House Library (
The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Library & Archives (
COPAC (

53. Interlibrary Loans
There may also be an opportunity to make an interlibrary loan. For question contact Aqil Zahid, Team Leader, Public Services

54. How to contact your S&E team?
For news and recent developments:
S&E Library Daily: