This document provides an overview of strategies and sources for locating engineering information. It discusses brainstorming product ideas, beginning internet searches on Google, and searching proprietary databases the library subscribes to for books, journals, patents, and vendor catalogs. These sources can help with identifying existing products, terminology, companies, markets, and pricing manufacturing costs. The document recommends starting with broad searches and refining using controlled vocabularies. It also provides tips on using library resources like interlibrary loans and guidance on the economics of information.

1. Strategies and Sources for
Locating Engineering
Information
Elizabeth Cheney
Science & Engineering Library
echeneyl@library.ucla.edu
Art of Engineering Endeavors/ Engr. 185W
October 12, 2012

2. Introduction
 How to save time while looking for:
 Books
 Journal articles
 Patents
 Pricing information in vendor catalogs

3. Brainstorming with group
n Possible products
- Similar existing products you can research
and build upon, develop new applications
for?
– Terminology and vocabulary of the industry
– Corporate players in the industry
– Sense of the market for the product

4. Examples
Tony Fadell’s Nest Thermostat - inspired by the iPod

5. Researchers at UC Berkeley studied African Rainbow
lizards in building the “Tailbot”

6. Cat ears that respond to brainwaves by Neurowear
company

7. Beginning your search
n Just Google It
– Gather vocabulary / lingo
– Identify companies & key people
– Design ideas
– Materials ideas
– Explore the market / consumers
Remember ¾ of the internet is comprised of commercial or
entertainment sites

8. Other places to begin
 For some products, an overview article from a newspaper,
an encyclopedia, or a trade journal may be useful
– Wikipedia
– Reference Universe (online encyclopedias)
– Business Source Complete (for trade journals)
– Lexis-Nexis (for newspaper articles)

12. Searching the Internet
 Google searches a billion webpages
 The Invisible Web is 500 times bigger

13. Searching the Internet
 Google
Books, journals
$$ and databases
that cost $$$$$
Proprietary databases; e.g.,
Government
Travelocity; LA Times; Content you will only have
websites; access to if you pay or the library
Weather.com; Eddie Bauer e.g.,Patent pays
office; NASA;
Bureau of the
Census

14. What does the library pay for?
Books – Including many electronic items
 UCLA Library Catalog

20. To request materials from other libraries
 In Worldcat (and article databases), look for
 In Melvyl (and databases), look for
 When not in either of these databases go to
the Interlibrary Loan form
– Request an item using a UC blank form:
– Book Request Form: this form can also be used to
request videos, dissertations, scores, etc.
– Article Request Form
– Book Chapter Request Form
It takes 3-10 days, so order items early!

21. Eng 185 Lib Guide

22. http://www.library.ucla.edu/sel

23. Controlled Vocabulary
Library of Congress
Subject Headings
(LCSH)
Each database has its own
controlled vocabulary.

24. http://authorities.loc.gov

25. Authorized Refs and Notes

27. The Library also pays for journals
 Elsevier  Taylor and Francis
 Springer  IEEE
 Wiley  IET
 SIAM  ASCE
 ACM  Sage
 ASME

28. Side note:
Economics of Information
 STEM journals and databases = cost of
your firstborn child
 Library pays now, you or your employer
will have to pay later

29. Looking for journal articles
 Compendex (All engineering disciplines)
 Inspec (Electrical engineering, computer
science, physics, applied physics)
 IEEE Xplore (mostly EE)
 Web of Knowledge (Interdisciplinary)
 PubMed (some bioengineering/biotechnology)
 Aerospace and High Technology
 Academic Search Complete (Interdisciplinary)

32. What do you get?
 Databases  Journal
 Powerful search  Credibility of author
functionality  Reputation of journal
 Quality controls on content  Links to articles cited in
 Indexing to improve bibliographies
searching
 The articles you cite
 Abstracting to improve
improve the credibility of
efficiency
your article
 Links to full-text

33. What else do you get?
 Reliable information – articles have
been reviewed by the authors’ peers
 Unbiased information – typically
academic journals aren’t trying to sell
you anything
 Detailed, subject-specific information
 Links to additional information in
bibliographies or through database tools

34. Choosing a Database
 Not all databases are created equal
 Differ by subjects and years covered
 Different types of resources
 Multidisciplinary vs. specialized

35. Using Databases:
Refining Your Search
 Search for “artificial intelligence” – too
many results
 Search for “robotics” and “problem
solving” – too few results

36. Using Databases:
Basic Search Strategy
 Start with keyword (natural language)
searches
 Find a relevant article
 Find the subject terms assigned to that
article
 Search using the controlled vocabulary
 Use the search refinement features of
each database

41. Patents
 Patents - No Cost Searching Web Sites
 European Patent Office
 Patents, U.S. (Google)
 USPTO (US Patent and Trademark Office) Database
Searches front page information in US patent starting from 1790.
 FreepatentsOnline
 DEPATISnet information
 SurfIP
 International Patent Offices
 Patent Information Users Group (PIUG)

 US Patent and Trademark Office
 http://www.scitopia.org

46. Vendor catalogs –
to price out costs of manufacturing
 Aldrich Catalog Search
 Allied Electronics
 Ben Meadows Company
 DesignInfo - Searchable Engineering Catalogs on the Net
 Digi-Key Electronic Components
 Edmund Scientific
 Global Spec
 Grainger catalog
 McMaster-Carr Supply Company
 Mouser Electronics
 Newark Electronics, Catalog Distributor of Electronic Components
 Rutland Tool & Supply Co., Inc.
 Sigma Catalog Search
 Building Materials by McGraw-Hill Sweets
 Thomas Register of American Manufacturers
 tile.net/vendors

48. Eng 185 Lib Guide

49. Need help –
Ask a Librarian
echeneyl@library.ucla.edu
(310)825-3398
IM: cheneyucla
SEL Reference Desk
8270 Boelter Hall
10-12, 1-5, Mon - Fri