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Tips and Tricks

Quotations, quotations, quotations! These are invaluable for specificity in searching.

Follow the little blue box. The "Discover Full-Text" link should connect you to the complete document, either in the same database or within a different database subscribed to by the University-- let the links lead you!

Can't locate the full text of a document? Try running a Google search of the title. It's not a foolproof solution, but can come in handy!

Overwhelmed by the number of results? Look around! Database results pages often provide tools to narrow down your results. Common options include sorting by publication date, document type, and geographic area, among others.

Citation Smarts

Accurate citation of resources is critical to a successful research paper. NoodleBib guides you through the process of creating citations in the relevant style format (in this case, APA) with straightforward instructions and a user-friendly interface. Don't hesitate to ask your librarian for assistance!

NoodleBib

Recommended Databases

Academic Search Premier
A useful starting point for your research. Quotations are helpful, as are the "Refine your results" options to the left of the results list.

To locate additional databases, go to the University Library's "Databases by Subject" page, then select "Engineering" from the Science and Technology column. This will bring up a list of relevant databases in VuFind (the online catalog). Once you select a database of interest, follow the "Online Access" link.

Google Scholar
The academic arm of the world's most popular search engine, this database provides peer-reviewed articles that you can narrow by document type, date of publication, and relevance. Don't forget to use those sorting tools!

To see the full text of many of these sources, you need to be "authenticated" as a legitimate UIUC user. Do so by searching for the source title on the A-Z list of electronic journals and databases. Also try the advanced search.
Engineering Village
A useful resource, though not all items labeled as full-text actually are so. If a particular title seems useful but isn't available in full-text, try copying and pasting the title into Google or the EPA site.
ScienceDirect
FYI, it helps to put your search terms together in the "All fields" box at top of page and use quotations to keep certain words together. For example, you might put "biomedical engineering" with "prosthesis" all in one line.
Scopus
Gives "a comprehensive overview of the world's research output in the fields of science, technology, medicine, social sciences and Arts & Humanities." Begin with the general "Document Search," then narrow down your results from there.
Web of Knowledge
Be in the Know: Quotations are a must when searching this database. Also, you'll perform a "Topic" search rather than a "Keyword" search.

Specialized Journals

To locate additional journals, go to the subject section of the University Library's "Find Online Journals and Databases" page. From there, select "Engineering," then choose the sub-category that best fits your needs.

Technology Review
The "magazine of innovation" from the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology-- a favorite of Mr. Stone's.
Annual Review of Biomedical Engineering
This journal "covers the significant developments in the broad field of Biomedical Engineering, including biomechanics, biomaterials, computational genomics and proteomics, tissue engineering, biomonitoring, health care engineering, drug delivery bioelectrical engineering, biochemical engineering, and biomedical imaging topics."
Biomedical Engineering
Journal covering "recent advances in the growing field of biomedical technology, instrumentation, and administration." Search box at top of main page.
Biomedical Engineering Online
"An open access, peer-reviewed journal that is dedicated to publishing research in all areas of biomedical engineering."
Bio-Medical Materials and Engineering
Covers materials and engineering for biological and medical systems. Click on "Search within this publication" to, well, search within the publication. FYI, we do not have access to issues published within the last nine months.

Subject Guide

University High School Library

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Exploravision - Mr. Stone: Home

Tips and Tricks

Citation Smarts

Recommended Databases

Specialized Journals

Subject Guide