• I. FINDING MATERIALS IN THE LIBRARY
• II. GUIDES TO THE LITERATURE AND RESEARCH HELPS
• III. DICTIONARIES
• IV. ENCYCLOPEDIAS
• V. HANDBOOKS, MANUALS AND TABLES
• VI. ABSTRACTS AND INDEXES (PRINTED AND COMPUTERIZED)
• VII. STANDARDS AND SPECIFICATIONS
• VIII. DISSERTATIONS AND THESES
• IX. CURRENT AWARENESS
• X. BOOK REVIEWS AND COMPREHENSIVE BIBLIOGRAPHIES
• XI. DIRECTORIES
• XII. GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS
• XIII. STATISTICS SOURCES
• XIV. PATENTS
• XV. INTERNET INFORMATION RESOURCES

Library materials may be located using the library's online computerized catalog, ODIN. Please consult the library's ODIN guides or a librarian if you need information about using the catalog.

Use the volumes entitled Library of Congress Subject Headings or the Library of Congress Subject Authorities file to find the correct subjects used in the catalog. Standard subdivisions may be used following most subject headings (e.g. CIVIL ENGINEERING--DICTIONARIES or STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING--HANDBOOKS, MANUALS, ETC.).

Consult the Library's guide "How do I get an article?" to locate periodicals at NDSU.

The NDSU Library uses several classification systems. Most of the Libraries' periodicals are in theDewey Decimal classification system. The Libraries' books and reference materials are classified in the Library of Congress system, and U.S. government documents are classed in the Superintendent of Documents classification system.

Professional librarians knowledgeable in various subjects are available at the reference desk of the Main Library to assist you. Library subject specialists are also available by appointment to provide in-depth assistance in locating and using information resources and library services in specific subject areas. Using their knowledge and experience in searching bibliographic databases, they can also help you identify and obtain material not owned by the University.

II. GUIDES TO THE LITERATURE AND RESEARCH HELPS

Guides to the literature help the researcher determine what bibliographies, indexes, directories, statistical sources and other reference books and information resources pertain to his subject. These guides can often save hours of research time if they are consulted at the beginning of a research project.

Ardis, Susan. A Guide to the Literature of Electrical and Electronics Engineering. Littleton, Co: Libraries Unlimited, 1987. (TK145 .A73 1987)

Hurt, Charlie D. Information Sources in Science and Technology, 3rd ed. Englewood, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited, Inc. 1998. (Q158.5.Z99H85 1998)

Lord, Charles R. Guide to Information Sources in Engineering. Englewood, CO : Libraries Unlimited, 2000. (T10.7.L67 2000)

Mildrin, K. W. and P.J. Hicks. Information Sources in Engineering, 3rd ed. London; New Jersey: Bowker-Saur, 1996. (Ref. T10.5 .I49 1996)

Powell, Russell H., ed. Handbooks and Tables in Science and Technology, 2nd ed. Phoenix, Az: Oryx Press, 1983. (Sci. Ref. Q199.H35)

Powell, Russell H., ed. Handbooks and Tables in Science and Technology, 3rd ed. Phoenix, Az: Oryx Press, 1994. (Ref. Q199.H35 1994)

Some information about research that is not yet published in journals or conference proceedings can be accessed on the Internet. Use one of the Internet search engines, such as Google.

Research helps:

Balian, Edward S. The Graduate Research Guidebook: A Practical Approach to Doctoral/Masters Research, 3rd ed. Lanham, Md.: University Press of America, 1994. (LB2369 .B24 1994)

Day, Robert A. How to Write & Publish a Scientific Paper, 5th ed. Phoenix, Az. : Oryx Press, 1998. (T11 .D33 1998).

How to Write and Publish Engineering Papers and Reports, 2nd ed. Philadelphia: ISI Press, 1986. (T11 .M418 1986)

Hult, Christine A. Researching and Writing in the Sciences and Technology. Allyn and Bacon, 1996. (Q180.55.M4 H85 1996)

Lannon, John M. Technical Communication, 8th ed.. New York: Longman, 2000. (T11.L24 2000 )

Leedy, Paul D. Practical Research: Planning and Design, 6th. ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J. : Merrill, 1997. (Q180.55.M4 L43 1997)

Lester, James D. Writing Research Papers: A Complete Guide, 5th. ed. Glenview, Ill.: Scott, Foresman, 1987. (Ref. LB2369 .L4 1987)

Mauch, James E. Guide to the Successful Thesis and Dissertation: A Handbook for Students and Faculty , 4th ed. New York: M. Dekker, 1998. (LB2369.M377 1998)

Style Manuals of the English-Speaking World: A Guide. Phoenix, Ariz.: Oryx Press, 1983. (Ref. PN147 .H68 1983)

Writing and Speaking in the Technology Professions: A Practical Guide. New York: IEEE Press, 1992. (T11 .W75 1992)

III. DICTIONARIES

The following is a selective list of dictionaries in the NDSU Libraries and on the Internet. The scope of these dictionaries varies considerably.

World Book Encylopedia Dictionary.

OneLook Dictionaries: the Faster Finder.

Technical Dictionaries:

Definitions of Surveying and Associated Terms. New York: American Society of Civil Engineers, 1978. (TA505 .D4)

Dictionary of Mechanical Engineering, 4th ed. Warrendale, Pa.: Society of Automotive Engineers; Oxford; Boston: Butterworth-Heinemann, 1996. (Ref. TJ9.N28 1996 )

Dictionary of Architectural and Building Technology. London; New York: Elsevier Science Pub. Co., 1986. (Arch. Ref. NA31 .C63 1986)

Dictionary of Computing. Oxford : Oxford University Press, 1997.

Dictionary of Geotechnics. London ; Boston : Butterworths, 1983. (Ref. TA705 .S65 1983)

Dictionary of Waste and Water Treatment. London ; Boston : Butterworth, 1981. (Ref. TD9 .S37 1981)

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2003. (Ref. Q123 .M34 2003)

Means Illustrated Construction Dictionary. Kingston, Mass.: R.S. Means Co., 1991. (TH9.M4 1991)

Abbreviations and Symbols:

Acronyms, Initialisms & Abbreviations Dictionary. Detroit: Gale Research.(Ref. P365 . A3)

All That JAS. All That JAS: Journal Abbreviation Sources is a registry of Web resources that list or provide access to the full title of journal abbreviations or other types of abbreviated publication titles (e.g., conference proceedings titles).

Periodical Title Abbreviations: By Abbreviation. Detroit: Gale Research. (Ref. Z6945.A2 .P47)

Dictionary of Civil Engineering Abbreviations, Signs and Symbols. New York: Odyssey Press, 1967. (Ref. TA11 .D5)

Directory of Engineering Document Sources. Santa Ana, Calif.: Global Engineering Documents, 1986. (Ref. T10.7 .D48 1986)

Encyclopedia of Engineering Signs and Symbols. New York: Odyssey Press, 1965. (Ref. TA11 .E5)

Yahoo's Acronyms and Abbreviations Dictionary Reference List

Thesauri:

Other thesauri can be found by consulting ODIN under subject heading of "SUBJECT HEADINGS" and the correct subject heading for your topic (e.g. SUBJECT HEADINGS - ENGINEERING).

EI Thesaurus. Hoboken, NJ: Engineering Information Inc., 1992 (Ref. TA1 .E655)

EI Vocabulary. New York, N.Y. : Engineering Information Inc., 1988. (TA1 .E65)

GeoRef Thesaurus and Guide to Indexing. Alexandria, Va.: American Geological Institute. (Ref. Z695.1 .G43 G46)

Library of Congress Subject Headings. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, 1995. ( also available as file LCA on WebPALS)

Thesaurus of Scientific, Technical, and Engineering Terms. Philadelphia: Science Information Resource Center; Cambridge, Mass.: Hemisphere Pub. Corp., c1988. (Ref. Z695.1 .S3 T52 1988)


IV. ENCYCLOPEDIAS

Encyclopedias are useful starting points for those who are beginning research in unfamiliar subjects. A listing of selected useful encyclopedias follows. Others can be found by using ODIN. Look in ODIN under subject headings for your topic and the subheading --DICTIONARIES.

Sneddon, I. N. Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Mathematics for Engineers and Applied Scientists. Oxford; New York:Pergamon Press, 1976. (Ref. TA330 .S66 1976)

Encyclopedia of Architecture: Design, Engineering & Construction. New York : Wiley, c1988- (Arch. Ref. NA 31 .E59 1988)

Encyclopedia of Building Technology. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1988. (Arch. Ref. TH9 .E48 1988)

Encyclopedia of Fluid Mechanics. Houston : Gulf Pub. Co., Book Division, 1986-. (TA357.E53)

Encyclopedia of Materials Science and Engineering. Oxford: Pergamon Press; Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1986. (Ref. TA402.E53 1986b)

Encyclopedia of Physical Science and Technology. Academic Press, 1989-. (Ref. Q123.E4973)

McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology: An International Reference Work in Twenty Volumes Including an Index. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1997. (Ref. Q121.M3)

The Water Encyclopedia, 2nd ed. Chelsea, Mich.: Lewis Publishers, 1990. (Ref. TD351 .V36)


V. HANDBOOKS, MANUALS, AND TABLES

Handbooks and manuals serve as compact sources of information useful to those practicing in the subject area. The following handbooks are listed as examples of sources in the NDSU Libraries. Others can be found by consulting with a librarian, or using ODIN. Look in ODIN under subject headings appropriate to your topic and the LC subdivisions for these works (e.g. ENGINEERING --TABLES, CALCULATIONS, ETC. or HYDROLOGY--HANDBOOKS, MANUALS, ETC.).

ACI Manual of Concrete Practice. Detroit: American Concrete Institute. (Ref. TA681 .A14)

American Institute of Steel Construction Manual of Steel Construction. Chicago, Ill.: American Institute of Steel Construction. (Arch. TA684 .A47 1989)

ASM Handbook, 10th ed. Materials Park, OH: ASM International, 1990-. (Ref. TA459 .M43 1990)

Brater, E. F. Handbook of Hydraulics, 7th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1996 (Ref. TC160 .B9123 1996)

The Civil Engineering Handbook. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 1995. (Ref. TA151 .C57 1995)

Concrete Construction Handbook , 4th ed. New York : McGraw-Hill, 1998. (Arch TA681.C745 1998 )

CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. Cleveland: CRC Press. (Chemistry Reference QD65.H3).

Dictionary of Inorganic Compounds. New York: Chapman and Hall, 1992. (Chem Ref. QD148.D53 1992).

Dictionary of Organic Compounds. New York: Chapman and Hall, 1982. (Chem. Ref. QD246.D5).

Excavation Handbook. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1981. (TA730 .C48)

Formulas for Stress, Strain, and Structural Matrices. New York: J. Wiley, 1994. (Ref. TA407.2 .P55 1994)

Handbook in Applied Meteorology. New York : John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1985 (TA197 .H36 1985)

Handbook of Geology in Civil Engineering, 3rd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1983.(TA705 .L4 1983)

Handbook of Hydraulics for the Solution of Hydraulic Engineering Problems. 7th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, c1996. (Ref. TC160 .B9123 1996)

Handbook of Hydrology. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1993. (GB662.5 .H36 1993)

Handbook of Inorganic Compounds. New York: CRC Press, 1995. (Chem. Ref. QD155.5.H36 1995).

Handbook of Mathematical Functions with Formulas, Graphs, and Mathematical Tables, 10th printing, with corrections. Washington : U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 1972.(Ref. QA3 .U5 no. 55 1972)

Hydraulic Institute. Engineering Data Book, 2nd ed. Cleveland, Ohio: The Institute, 1990. (TC151 .E53 1990)

Hydrology Handbook. New York: ASCE, 1996. (Ref. GB661.2.H93 1996)

Institute of Transportation Engineers. Traffic Engineering Handbook, 4th ed. Englewood Cliffs, N.Y.: Prentice-Hall, 1992.(HE333 .T68 1992)

Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices: For Streets and Highways. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration : For sale by the Supt. of Docs., U.S. G.P.O. (DOCUMENT TD 2.8:T 67/ )

Mathematical Handbook of Formulas and Tables. New York, McGraw-Hill, 1968. (Ref. QA3 .U5 no. 55 1972)

Moving the Earth: The Workbook of Excavation, 3rd ed. Greenwich, Conn.: North Castle Books, 1976. (TA715 .N6 1976)

Roark, R.J., Formulas for Stress and Strain, 3d ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1954. (TG265 .R45 1954)

Standard Handbook for Civil Engineers, 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1996.(Ref. TA151 .S8 1996)

Standard Handbook of Environmental Engineering, 2nd ed. New York McGraw-Hill, 1999. (TD145.S72 1998)

Standard Handbook of Engineering Calculations, 3rd ed. New York McGraw-Hill, 1995. (Ref. TA332.S73 1995)

Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater. Washington, DC : American Public Health Association.( Chem. Ref. QD142 .A5)

Steel Design Handbook : LRFD method. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1997. (Ref. TA684 .S76 1997)

Structural Engineering Handbook, 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill. (TA635.S77 1997)

Transportation and Traffic Engineering Handbook, 2nd ed. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1982. (HE333 .T68 1982)


VI. ABSTRACTS AND INDEXES (PRINTED AND COMPUTERIZED)

Each year tens of thousands of articles, patents, technical reports and conference papers are published in applied science, technology, and engineering. About half of this primary literature is indexed in many printed and computer-searchable indexes, reviews, and abstracts. This is a very selective list of appropriate indexes and abstracts for civil engineering and related fields. For more guidance consult with an librarian. An NDSU librarian can help you search many of the resources below.

Civil Engineering Abstracts Description: The Civil Engineering Abstracts database provides citations, abstracts, and indexing of the serials literature in all aspects civil engineering and its complementary fields, including management and marketing of engineering services and computation. The database provides coverage of over 3,000 serial titles and indexes numerous non-serial publications. [Details] Record Count: 250,000+ Date: 1966 - current Updated: 2 weeks Producer: Cambridge Scientific Abstracts CSA Technology Research Database Description: The Cambridge Scientific Abstracts Technology Research Database is a single database of all the records available through its components: the CSA Materials Research Database, CSA High Technology Research Database, and the CSA Engineering Research Database. The database covers over 4,000 periodicals, and also indexes selected conference proceedings, technical reports, trade literature, patents, and books. Major areas of coverage include:; aeronautics; astronautics; biomaterials; manufacturing; ceramics; civil engineering; communications; networks; composites; computer applications; construction materials; corrosion; earthquake engineering; electronics; engineered materials; environmental engineering; mechanical engineering; metallurgy; metals and alloys and their processing and applications; meteorology, climatology and oceanography; optical and acoustic technology; pollution, waste and water engineering; polymers; robotics and automation; semiconductors; telecommunications; transportation engineering; and many other technical subjects. Databases included in the The Cambridge Scientific Abstracts Technology Research Database include: Abstracts in New Technologies and Engineering; Civil Engineering Abstracts; Earthquake Engineering Abstracts; Environmental Engineering Abstracts; Mechanical & Transportation Engineering Abstracts; Aerospace & High Technology Database; Computer and Information Systems Abstracts; Electronics and Communications Abstracts; Solid State and Superconductivity Abstracts; Aluminium Industry Abstracts; Ceramic Abstracts/World Ceramics Abstracts; Copper Data Center Database; Corrosion Abstracts; Engineered Materials Abstracts; Materials Business File; METADEX; WELDASEARCH. [Details] Record Count: 5,000,000+ Date: 1962 to present Updated: Every two weeks Producer: Cambridge Scientific Abstracts Environmental Engineering Abstracts Description: Environmental Engineering Abstracts covers world literature pertaining to air and water quality, environmental safety, and energy production. More than 700 journals are indexed and over 2,500 additional sources, including monographs and conference proceedings, are also monitored for relevant articles. [Details] Record Count: 150,000+ Date: 1990 - current Updated: Monthly Producer: Cambridge Scientific Abstracts Transport Description: Use TRANSPORT to search comprehensively for highway and transportation engineering information. TRANSPORT consists of two leading bibliographic databases merged into one file: The International Transport Research Documentation (ITRD) database produced by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) based in Paris; and the Transportation Research Information Services database (TRIS) produced by the Transportation Research Board of the United States. Together, the databases will help you locate research in transportation systems, traffic, road safety, intermodal transport, transport economics, transport policy, and social sciences of transportation. Resources indexed in the database includes research reports, books, articles from journals and reviews, theses, standards, and specifications, conference proceedings, and summaries of research in progress. [Details] Record Count: 650,000 + Date: 1968 to present Updated: Monthly Producer: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and Transportation Research Board of the United States Web of Science Description: Web of Science provides access to the Science Citation Index Expanded and Social Science Citation Index. Science Citation Index Expanded is a multidisciplinary index to the journal literature of the sciences. It fully indexes 5,900 major journals across 150 scientific disciplines. The Science Citation Index Expanded includes all cited references captured from indexed articles. In addition, the Science Citation Index Expanded: - Provides access to current information and retrospective data from 1992 to the present. - Averages 19,000 new records per week. - Includes approximately 423,000 new cited references per week. - As of January 1991, contains searchable, full-length, English- language author abstracts for approximately 70% of the articles in the index. The Social Sciences Citation Index is a multidisciplinary index to the journal literature of the social sciences. It fully indexes more than 1,725 journals across 50 social sciences disciplines, and it indexes individually selected, relevant items from over 3,300 of the world's leading scientific and technical journals. In addition, the Social Sciences Citation Index: - Provides access to current information and retrospective data from 1992 forward. - Averages 2,900 new records per week. - Includes approximately 60,000 new cited references per week. - As of January 1992, contains searchable, full-length, English- language author abstracts for approximately 60% of the articles in the index. [Details] Producer: Thomson-ISI Transportation Research Information Service Description: Use the Transportation Research Information Services database (TRIS) to search for highway and transportation engineering information. TRIS is produced by the Transportation Research Board of the United States. [Details] Record Count: 450,834 Date: 1968 to present Updated: Monthly Producer: Transportation Research Board of the United States ASCE Annual Combined Index (American Society of Civil Engineers) Description: ASCE Annual Combined Index covers all material appearing in the publications of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Subjects covered by the Index include: Aerospace Engineering, Architectural Engineering, Bridges, Cold Regions, Computer Practices, Construction, Earthquake Engineering, Education, Engineering Mechanics, Environmental Engineering, Forensic Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Highways, Hydrology, Hydraulics, Irrigation and Drainage, Management, Materials Engineering, Structural Engineering, Transportation, Urban Planning, Water Resources, Waterway, Port, Coastal and Ocean Egineering. [Details] Record Count: 80,000+ Date: 1975 to present Updated: Monthly Producer: ASCE INSPEC Description: INSPEC contains citations, with abstracts, to worldwide literature in physics, electronics, electrical engineering, computing, control, and information technology. Primary coverage is of journal articles and papers presented at conferences, although significant books, technical reports, and dissertations are also included. The INSPEC database is the electronic equivalent of three printed abstracting journals: Physics Abstracts, Electrical and Electronics Abstracts, and Computer & Control Abstracts. The database contains more than 7 million records, and currently indexes more than 4,200 journals and more than 2,000 conferences. Over 300,000 abstracts are added to INSPEC each year. [Details] Record Count: 7,165,000 Date: 1969 to present Updated: Monthly Producer: INSPEC, Inc.; Institution of Electrical Engineers Scopus Description: NDSU no longer subscribes to the Scopus database. In its place NDSU researchers now have access to a new science database called Web of Science. [Details] Producer: Science Direct Earthquake Engineering Abstracts Description: Earthquake Engineering Abstracts provides comprehensive coverage of the world's literature in earthquake engineering. Contents include selected technical reports, conference papers, monographs, and journal articles. Most materials not held locally are available for loan from the EERC Library (eerclib@nisee.ce.berkeley.edu). [Details] Record Count: 100,000+ Date: 1971 to present Updated: Monthly Producer: National Information Service for Earthquake Engineering (NISEE), University of California, Berkeley METADEX Description: METADEX indexes information relating to metals and alloys that has appeared in selected journals, patents, dissertations, government reports, conference proceedings, and selected books. Over 2,000 journals are indexed by the database. Major areas of coverage include: steel; microstructure; strength; refining; casting; coatings; heat treatment; metal matrix composites; nonferrous metals and alloys, corrosion, extracting and smelting, metal processing, machining, welding, testing, analysis, and many other areas. [Details] Record Count: 1,375,000+ Date: 1966 - current Updated: Monthly Producer: Cambridge Scientific Abstracts SciFinder Scholar (Chemical Abstracts) Description: A comprehensive index to chemical literature. The database contains over 21 million document records and more than 41 chemical substance registrations. SciFinder Scholar offers access to the Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) databases including Chemical Abstracts, Registry, CASREACT, CHEMCATS, and CHEMLIST. SciFinder Scholar also includes access to MEDLINE. Subjects covered by these databases include chemistry, chemical engineering, biochemistry, geochemistry, agricultural chemistry, biomedical and medicinal chemistry, biotechnology, materials science, organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, medicine, pharmacology, toxicology, environmental science, and waste management. More than 8,000 journals are indexed. Also indexed are patents, technical reports, books, conference proceedings, and dissertations from around the world. About 14,000 new document records are added every. [Details] Record Count: 21,500,000 Date: 1907 to present Updated: Daily Producer: American Chemical Society Chemical Abstracts Service Selected Water Resources Abstracts Description: This data base was compiled from several sources for USGS abstracts on the subject of water resources since 1977. [Details] Record Count: 10,000+ Date: 1977 to present? Updated: Monthly Producer: U.S. Geological Survey WaterNet Description: Indexes publications dealing with water and wastewater treatment, quality, analysis, and distribution systems. Included are books and proceedings, journals, newsletters, standards, manuals, handbooks, and water quality standard test methods. Emphasis is on the technical reports and studies from water utilities, regulatory agencies, and research groups in the United States and its territories, Canada, Mexico, and Latin America. European and Asian data are also reported. AWWA and AWWARF publications are also indexed. [Details] Record Count: 41,000+ Date: 1971 to present Updated: Quarterly Producer: American Water Works Association MathSciNet Description: MathSciNet is a comprehensive database covering the world's mathematical literature since 1940. The database also covers mathematical applications in a wide range of disciplines, including operations research, econometrics, engineering, physics, biology, and many other related fields. Coverage is international, and about 45,000 reviews are added each year. Approximately 1,800 current serials and journals are reviewed, and roughly 4,000 monographs, conference proceedings, theses, and technical reports that contain new contributions to mathematical research are reviewed annually [Details] Record Count: Nearly 2,000,000 Date: 1940 to present Updated: Daily Producer: American Mathematical Society Mechanical & Transportation Engineering Abstracts Description: The Mechanical & Transportation Engineering Abstracts database provides citations, abstracts, and indexing of the serials literature in mechanical and transportation engineering and their complementary fields. The database provides coverage of the international engineering literature with the monitoring of over 2,600 serial titles as well as numerous non-serial publications. Major areas of coverage include: Engineering of aircraft, spacecraft, rockets and missiles; automobiles, trucks, buses, and motorcycles, electric and hybrid vehicles, tanks and armored vehicles, earthmoving machinery, farm machinery, industrial materials handling and machinery, recreational vehicles, railroads, locomotives, railroad cars, rapid transit railways, and ships. Also covered in the database are electric power generation; industrial and manufacturing processes; robots and automation; mechanics and dynamics; engineering mathematics and computation; fuels, propellants, and lubricants; and engineering management, marketing, and education. [Details] Record Count: 500,000+ Date: 1966 - current Updated: Twice a month Producer: Cambridge Scientific Abstracts NTIS (Government Reports Announcements and Index) Description: The National Technical Information Service (NTIS) database provides indexing and abstracts for U.S. government-sponsored research and analyses prepared by federal agencies, and their contractors, or grantees. NTIS makes unclassified research reports from agencies such as NASA, DOD, DOE, HUD, DOT, and 240 other agencies available to the public. Some state and local government agencies also contribute summaries of their reports to the database. The NTIS database also provides access to the results of government-sponsored research from other countries; for example, the Japan Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI); the United Kingdom Department of Industry; the German Federal Ministry of Research and Technology (BMFT); and the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) submit documents to the NTIS. [Details] Record Count: Unknown Date: 1990 to present Updated: Daily Producer: National Technical Information Service GeoRef Description: GeoRef Indexes worldwide technical literature on geology and geophysics. Includes papers from over 13,000 serials and other publications representative of the interests of the 29 professional geological and earth science societies that are members of the American Geological Institute(AGI). About 40% of the indexed publications originate in the United States and the remainder of indexed documentes come from outside the United States. The database includes indexing of over 3,500 journals as well as books and book chapters, conference papers, government publications, theses, dissertations, reports, maps, and meeting papers. Approximately new 3,000 records are added to the database every two weeks. [Details] Record Count: 2,450,000 Date: 1785 to present Updated: Biweekly Producer: American Geological Institute GeoBase Description: The GeoBase database covers the international literature on geology, geography, and ecology from over 2,060 sources. Topics covered include cartography, climatology, energy, environment, geochemistry, geomorphology, geophysics, hydrology, meteorology, paleontology, petrology, photogrammetry, sedimentology, and volcanology. Geobase covers journals, books, monographs, conference proceedings, and reports. [Details] Record Count: 1,063,000+ Date: 1980 to present Updated: Monthly Producer: Elsevier Science Publishing Company Engineered Materials Abstracts Description: Engineered Materials Abstracts provides indexing of literature concerning research, manufacturing practices, properties and applications of polymers, ceramics, and composites. Over 1,300 journals are indexed. Also indexed are dissertations and selected government reports, conference proceedings, and books. Ceramics, Composites, and Polymers subfiles can be search separately. Subjects covered by the database include: biomedical materials; ceramics; composites; compounding and blending of materials; corrosion; design; joining; machining; mechanical properties; microstructure; molding and forming; physical properties; testing; and polymer preparation and synthesis. [Details] Record Count: 250,000+ Date: 1986 - current Updated: Monthly Producer: Cambridge Scientific Abstracts Aerospace and High Technology Database Description: The Aerospace and High Technology Database indexes periodicals and technical reports published in aeronautics, astronautics, and space sciences. The database indexes reports issued by NASA, other U.S. government agencies, international institutions, universities, and private firms. Major areas of coverage include: aerodynamics, aircraft design, communications, navigation, geophysics, meteorology, propellants and fuels, spacecraft design and systems, and other aspects of aeronautical engineering. [Details] Record Count: 2,400,000+ Date: 1962 - current Updated: Monthly Producer: Cambridge Scientific Abstracts Weldasearch Description: Weldasearch contains abstracts to journal articles, research reports, books, standards, patents, theses and special publications in the areas of joining metals, plastics, and ceramics. Weldasearch includes information on metal and ceramic spraying, thermal cutting, brazing, soldering and related topics, including design, metallurgy, fatigue, fracture, equipment, surfacing, quality control, testing, safety, and news of the industry. [Details] Record Count: 180,000+ Date: 1967 - current Updated: Monthly Producer: Weldasearch Services, TWI Academic Search Premier (EBSCO) Description: Academic Search Premier is a scholarly, multi-disciplinary full text database. Academic Search Premier contains full text for nearly 4,600 scholarly publications. In addition to the full text, this database offers indexing and abstracts for over 8,000 journals. The database offers information in nearly every area of academic study. [Details] Record Count: unknown Date: Varies; 1975 to present Updated: Daily Producer: EBSCO Corrosion Abstracts Description: Corrosion Abstracts provides bibliographic information in the area of corrosion science and engineering. International sources of literature are scanned and abstracted in the areas of general corrosion, testing, corrosion characteristics, preventive measures, materials construction, and materials performance, Major areas of coverage include: alloying, atmospheric corrosion, corrosion in specific materials, corrosion prevention, designing for corrosion control, inspection, microbiologically influenced corrosion, pitting, protective coatings and linings, theory and data interpretation, and cathodic protection. [Details] Record Count: 100,000 Date: 1980 - current Updated: Bimonthly. Producer: Cambridge Scientific Abstracts DIALOG Databases Description: Provides access to more than 900 online databases collectively containing over 800 million records. Many of these databases are not otherwise available at NDSU. To access dialog databases supporting your research, contact a subject librarian or the staff at the Main Library reference desk, and they will perform a search of appropriate Dialog databases for you. Generally, you will be billed for the cost of DIALOG searches. [Details] Record Count: 800,000,000+ Date: varies Updated: varies Producer: varies Dissertation Abstracts Online Description: Index to U.S. dissertations and selected masters thesis; also includes selective coverage of theses and dissertations from Canada, Great Britain, and other European countries. Dissertations and theses from all academic disciplines are included. In the database are dissertation citations from 1861 to present; dissertation abstracts since 1980; and thesis abstracts since 1988. [Details] Record Count: 1,560,000+ Date: 1861 to present Updated: Monthly Producer: Bell and Howell Information and Learning Health and Safety Science Abstracts Description: This database provides a abstracts of materials relating to public health, safety, and industrial hygiene. Among the topics covered by the database are aviation and aerospace safety, environmental safety, nuclear safety, medical safety occupational safety, and ergonomics. Pollution, waste disposal, radiation, pesticides, epidemics - and countless other phenomena are also covered. The database indexes government reports as well as journal articles, conference proceedings, books, and other publications. [Details] Record Count: 135,000+ Date: 1981 - current Updated: Monthly. Producer: Cambridge Scientific Abstracts ASABE Technical Library Description: Full text (1999-present)of agricultural engineering technical papers and periodicals from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) as well as selected other agricultural engineering associations. Also provides full text to all ASABE monographs, textbooks, and proceedings published since 2001. Formerly known as ASAE Technical Library, when the society was named American Society of Agricultural Engineers (ASAE) [Details] Record Count: unknown Date: 2001 to date Updated: unknown Producer: Society for Engineering in Agricultural, Food, and Biological Systems (ASAE) Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals Description: The Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals, published by the Getty Research Institute, is a guide to the current literature of architecture and design. This database surveys more than 2,500 US and foreign journals. The index covers international, scholarly and popular periodical literature, including publications of professional associations; US state and regional periodicals; and major serial publications. In addition, the Avery Index provides 13,000 citations to architects' obituaries. [Details] Record Count: 330,000+ Date: Selective 1934- Updated: Monthly Producer: EBSCO BasicBIOSIS Description: BasicBIOSIS covers a wide range of bioscience topics. The database is a selected subset of the complete BIOSIS (Biological Abstracts) and BIOSIS Previews. The database provides information on recent developments in 96 subject areas of the biological and biomedical sciences and covers about 350 core journals. Nearly every life science discipline is covered, including agriculture, biochemistry, biology biotechnology, botany, ecology, environment, genetics, medicine, microbiology, neuroscience, nutrition, physiology, and public health. [Details] Record Count: 390,000 Date: 1994 to present Updated: Monthly Producer: BIOSIS Biological Sciences Database (CSA) Description: This database provides abstracts and citations to research in biomedicine, biotechnology, zoology and ecology, and some aspects of agriculture and veterinary science. More than two dozen discplines are abstracted. The database indexes over 6000 serials, as well as conference proceedings, technical reports, monographs and selected books and patents. The database includes the following subfiles and each of these can be search separately: Agricultural and Environmental Biotechnology Abstracts (1993-Current); Algology Mycology and Protozoology Abstracts (Microbiology C) (1982-Current); Animal Behavior Abstracts (1982-Current); ASFA 1: Biological Sciences and Living Resources (1971-Current); ASFA Aquaculture Abstracts (1984-Current); ASFA Marine Biotechnology Abstracts (1989-Current); Bacteriology Abstracts (Microbiology B) (1982-Current); BioEngineering Abstracts (1993-Current); Calcium and Calcified Tissue Abstracts (1982- Current); Chemoreception Abstracts (1982-Current); CSA Neurosciences Abstracts (1982-Current); Ecology Abstracts (1982-Current); Entomology Abstracts (1981-Current); Genetics Abstracts (1982- Current); Health and Safety Science Abstracts (1981-Current); Human Genome Abstracts (1982-1995); Immunology Abstracts (1982-Current); Industrial and Applied Microbiology Abstracts (Microbiology A) (1982- Current); Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Abstracts (1993- Current); Nucleic Acids Abstracts (1982-Current); Oncogenes and Growth Factors Abstracts (1989-Current); Toxicology Abstracts (1981- Current); Virology and AIDS Abstracts (1982-Current). [Details] Record Count: 3,150,000+ Date: 1982 - current Updated: Monthly Producer: Cambridge Scientific Abstracts BIOSIS Description: A comprehensive biology index to 6,000 research journals and monograph titles. BIOSIS provides worldwide coverage of research in all of the biological and biomedical sciences. The BIOSIS database is the equivalent of Biological Abstracts; nearly every life science discipline is covered, including agriculture, biochemistry, biology, biotechnology, botany, ecology, environment, genetics, medicine, microbiology, neuroscience, nutrition, physiology, and public health. [Details] Record Count: 5,000,000+ Date: 2001 to present Updated: Monthly Producer: BIOSIS GPO Access Description: The Government Printing Office of the United States provides a database called GPO Access. GPO Access provides free online use of over 1,500 databases of Federal information. GPO Access allows you to search the following important U.S. government publicatios: The Budget of the U.S. Government; Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP); Code of Federal Regulations; Commerce Business Daily; Congressional Bills; Congressional Calendars; Congressional Committee Prints; Congressional Directory; Congressional Documents; Congressional Hearings; Congressional Record; Congressional Record Index; Congressional Reports; Constitution of the United States of America; Deschler's Precedents of the U.S. House of Representatives; Economic Indicators; Economic Report of the President; Federal Register; GAO Reports; GAO Comptroller General Decisions; GILS Records; Government Manual; History of Bills and Resolutions; House Practice; House Rules Manual; Interior Department- Reports of the Office of the IG; Privacy Act Notices; Public Laws; Public Papers of the Presidents of the U.S.; Senate Manual; Supreme Court Decisions (1937-1975); Unified Agenda; United States Code; Ways & Means Committee Prints; and the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents. [Details] Updated: Daily Producer: United States Government Printing Office Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government Publications Description: The Catalog of U.S. Government Publications provides bibliographic records of U.S. Government information products. It can be used to link to Federal agency online resources or identify materials distributed to Federal Depository Libraries. New Electronic Titles contains online titles that are the latest entries in the Catalog or are in line to be added. Database covers documents published 1994 to present from GPO Access. [Details] Record Count: unknown Date: 1994 to present Updated: Daily Producer: United States Government Printing Office OSHA Regulations & Compliance Links Description: This United States Occupational Safety & Health Administration resource provides current regulations and compliance information. OSHA standards and compliance-related information, including interpretations, compliance guides, and other compliance assistance information is included. [Details] Record Count: Unknown Date: Current Updated: Current Producer: United States Occupational Safety & Health Administration TOXLINE (from Cambridge Scientific Abstracts) Description: TOXLINE provides information in all areas of toxicology, including chemicals and pharmaceuticals, pesticides, environmental pollutants, and mutagens and teratogens. TOXLINE is produced by the U.S. National Library of Medicine. This version of TOXLINE from Cambridge Scientific Abstracts does not contain information from Chemical Abstracts Service, BIOSIS, or International Pharmaceutical Abstracts; furthermore, it is a "rolling 5-year" database, consisting of records from the last 5 years plus the current year. Major areas of coverage include: pollutants, antidotes, adverse effects of drugs, carcinogenesis, chemically-induced diseases, food additives, genotoxicity, hazardous materials, mutagenicity, pesticides and herbicides, and radioactive materials. [Details] Record Count: 332,000+ Date: 1999 - current Updated: Monthly. Producer: U.S. National Library of Medicine ToxNet (Toxicology Data Network) Description: The Toxicology Data Network (TOXNET®) is an integrated system of toxicology and environmental health databases that are available free of charge from the National Library of Medicine (NLM). The following databases are available for searching via TOXNET: HSDB® (Hazardous Substances Data Bank) is a scientifically reviewed database containing information for over 4500 toxic or potentially toxic chemicals. TOXLINE® is a bibliographic database covering the biochemical, pharmacological, physiological, and toxicological effects of drugs and other chemicals. It contains over 3 million citations. . ChemIDplus provides access to structure and nomenclature information for the identification of chemical substances cited in NLM databases. IRIS (Integrated Risk Information System) is an online database built by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) containing carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risk assessment and regulatory information on over 500 chemicals. TRI (Toxic Chemical Release Inventory) contains information on the annual estimated releases of over 650 toxic chemicals to the environment. for the reporting years 1995-1999. CCRIS (Chemical Carcinogenesis Research Information System) is a National Cancer Institute database containing bioassays on over 8,000 chemicals and studies relating to carcinogens, mutagens, tumor promoters, cocarcinogens, metabolites and inhibitors of carcinogens. GENE-TOX is a data bank created by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with genetic toxicology test results on over 3,000 chemicals. DART®/ETIC (Developmental and Reproductive Toxicology/Environmental Teratology Information Center) is a bibliographic database covering teratology and developmental toxicology literature published since 1950. DIRLINE® (Directory of Information Resources Online) is an online directory of over 9,000 health-related organizations that are willing to respond to public inquiries in their specialty areas. [Details] Record Count: 3,000,000+ Date: Varies by database Updated: Unknown Producer: United States National Library of Medicine Conference Papers Index Description: The Conference Papers Index database provides citations to papers and poster sessions presented at major scientific meetings around the world. Subject emphasis is in the life sciences, environmental sciences and the aquatic sciences, but the database also covers meetings in physics, engineering and materials science. Records include complete ordering information to obtain preprints, abstracts, proceedings and other publications derived from the conference, together with title and author information needed to track the specific papers. [Details] Record Count: 1,500,000+ Date: 1982 - current Updated: Bimonthly Producer: Cambridge Scientific Abstracts ABI Inform Description: Index to business periodicals and trade publications. Full text articles are available for approximately 550 of the 1,000 business periodicals indexed. ABI Inform provides information about nearly every aspect of business including: mandagement, advertising, marketing, economics, human resources, finance, taxation, computers, new product development, competitive intelligence, and more, including more than 60,000 company histories. [Details] Record Count: 2,157,000 Date: 1971 to present Updated: Daily Producer: UMI/Bell & Howell ANTE: Abstracts in New Technologies and Engineering Description: ANTE: Abstracts in New Technologies and Engineering (formerly Current Technology Database) indexes 350 academic and trade publications from the U.K. and the U.S. that report on new technologies. Information technology, computing, electronics, biotechnology, medical technology, and engineering (including construction, electrical and chemical engineering) are covered disciplines. [Details] Record Count: 325,000+ Date: 1981 - current Producer: Cambridge Scientific Abstracts Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts Description: A comprehensive database to world-wide literature relating to the science, technology, and management of water environments. Subjects included are irrigation, wetlands, prairie potholes, hydrology, and other topics of interest to agricultural researchers. The database indexes articles selected from over 5000 journals and also indexes books, proceedings, and reports. [Details] Record Count: 841,000 Date: 1978 to present Updated: Monthly Producer: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (Rome), the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (Paris), the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea of the United Nations (New York), the Ocean and Coastal Areas Programme Activity Centre of the United Nations Environment Programme (Nairobi), the International Center for Living Aquatic Resources Management (Manila), the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (Copenhagen), the World Conservation Union (Gland), and national agencies in twenty-three countries Business Source Premier (EBSCO) Description: The Business Source Premier database contains indexing and full text for nearly 3,000 journals and business periodicals covering management, economics, finance, accounting, and other business subjects. The database also has economic reports from the EIU, DRI-WEFA, ICON Group and CountryWatch; and contains indexing for 300 top scholarly business journals dating back to 1965 (or the first issue published). In addition, the database contains 5,000 company profiles and 1,600 industry reports from Datamonitor. Use their enhanced business searching interface for searching for country reports, industry profiles, company profiles and some market research reports. [Details] Record Count: unknown Date: Varies; 1965 to present Updated: Daily Producer: EBSCO Computer and Information Systems Abstracts Description: Computer and Information Systems Abstracts indexes literature in computing, information science, and communications technology. The database provides indexing of over 3,000 journals and also indexes conference proceedings. Subjects covered include artificial intelligence; computer applications; programming; computer hardware; information systems and information science; mathematics of computing; and software engineering. [Details] Record Count: 375,000+ Date: 1981 - current Updated: Monthly Producer: Cambridge Scientific Abstracts

This is only a selection of some relevant databases. A number of other printed access tools and databases also exist to meet the information needs of engineering professionals which are not discussed above. For more details contact an engineering librarian.


VII. STANDARDS AND SPECIFICATIONS

We are fortunate to have several approaches to locating standards and specifications today. Global Engineering, a subsidiary of Information Handling Services, is one well-known example of a private, fee-based, document delivery service specializing in providing copies of standards and specifications to organizations and individuals. The National Center for Standards and Certification Information acts as an information and referral center for standards-related information in the United States. The NCSCI will respond to inquiries on the existence, source and availability of standards and related documents, but they will not provide copies of standards or specifications.

Most U.S. government specifications and standards can be ordered from the addresses below. The charge for federal specifications and standards varies from document to document, and the requester has the option of having them delivered via regular 1st class U.S. Mail or Overnight Federal Express. The requester pays the postage charges.

• General Services Administration
  Federal Supply Services
  Specifications Section
  470 E. L'Enfant Plaza, S.W.
  Suite 8100
  Washington, D.C. 20407
  Phone: (202) 619-8925
  Fax: (202) 619-8978
  

Military specifications and standards, as well as other federal specifications and standards, can be ordered from:

• The Department of Defense Single Stock Point
  Defense Automated Printing Service
  Code 106
  5801 Tabor Avenue
  Philadelphia, PA 19120
  (215)697-2667 or 2179
  

As mentioned above, the private firm Global Engineering (1-800-854-7179) sells copies of many industry, federal, military and international standards and specifications:

• Global Engineering Documents
  15 Inverness Way East
  Englewood, CO 80112
  Fax: 303-397-2740
  Telephone: 303-397-7956 (outside the U.S.)
  800-854-7179 (U.S. and Canada)
  E-mail: global@ihs.com
  World Wide Web: http://global.ihs.com
  

Global requires the requester to pay for the standard or specification, pay a handling fee, and the postage charges. Global will send owned documents via FAX, the U.S. Mail, UPS, or Federal Express.

Standards may also be ordered from the supplier:

• Document Center Inc.
  Document Center Inc. 111
  Industrial Road Suite 9
  Belmont, California 94002 USA
  Phone: (650)-591-7600
  Fax: (650)-591-7617
  

Many of the most frequently requested standards are available from the following suppliers:

• ANSI (American National Standards Institute)
• ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials)
• ISO (The International Organization for Standardization)

Because standards and specifications are so frequently updated and so numerous, they are not all collected by the NDSU Libraries. The Libraries do possess a collection of selected ANSI standards that are now becoming dated. The Libraries also periodically purchases the ASTM Annual Book of Standards. The other standards that are collected by the Libraries can typically be located by checking in the ODIN catalogg under the title of the standard or under the subject heading appropriate for the standard sought and the subheading "standards". The following indexes and reference sources may be helpful in identifying standards and specifications produced by other standards producing organizations. The standard producing organization or the suppliers listed above can then be contacted to provide the standard desired. The NSSN, the Index and Directory of Industry Standards (Ref. T59.2.U6 I5) and other resources provide access to the majority of current standards and provide the addresses and phone numbers of most standards preparing organizations. Other organizations addresses and phone numbers can be obtained from the many directories held by the Libraries.

Industrial Standards - Indexes

American National Standards Catalog. New York: American National Standards Institute,1993-. (Ref. TA368 .A43)

Military and U.S. Federal Specifications and Standards - Indexes

U.S. Department of Defense. Department of Defense Index of Specifications and Standards. Washington: Government Printing Office. (Doc. D 1.76: )

General Services Administration. Index of Federal Specifications, Standards and Commercial Item Descriptions. Washington: Government Printing Office. (Ref. Z1223. A199 I56 or Doc. GS 2.8/2: )

Computer Databases

American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Description: ANSI is a private, non-profit organization that administers and coordinates the U.S. voluntary standards and conformity assessment system. A total of 14,650 approved ANSI are available for a fee at. ANSI's electronic store. Although the database to locate an ANSI standard is free, you must purchase the text of any standard you need or desire. [Details] Record Count: 14,650 Date: Current Updated: Monthly Producer: American National Standards Institute ASABE Technical Library Description: Full text (1999-present)of agricultural engineering technical papers and periodicals from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) as well as selected other agricultural engineering associations. Also provides full text to all ASABE monographs, textbooks, and proceedings published since 2001. Formerly known as ASAE Technical Library, when the society was named American Society of Agricultural Engineers (ASAE) [Details] Record Count: unknown Date: 2001 to date Updated: unknown Producer: Society for Engineering in Agricultural, Food, and Biological Systems (ASAE) CODATA Recommended Values of Physical Constants Description: Site of the NIST Reference on Constants, Units, and Uncertainty, one of the technical activities of the Fundamental Constants Data Center of the NIST Physics Laboratory. These are the 1998 CODATA recommended values of the fundamental physical constants, the latest CODATA values available. Contents of this site include values of the constants and related information, searchable bibliography on the constants, in-depth information on the SI, the modern metric system, and guidelines for the expression of uncertainty in measurement. [Details] Date: Current Updated: Irregular Producer: CODATA/National Institute of Standards and Technology Department of Defense Single Stock Point, Defense Automated Printing Service Description: United States military specifications and standards, as well as other federal specifications and standards, can be ordered from the Department of Defense Single Stock Point Defense Automated Printing Service. [Details] Record Count: 40,000+ Date: Current Updated: Irregularly Producer: United States Navy DIN, Deutsches Institut fьr Normung Description: This database provides a search engine for DIN (Deutsches Institut fnr Normung) and ISO technical standards, VDI guidelines and DVS codes of practice. [Details] Producer: Beuth Verlag Document Center Inc. Description: The Document Center Inc. provides a comprehensive database of industry and government standards from around the world. The database provides the standard number, title, date of publication, and status for free. The Document Center can also provide you with the full text of many standards for a fee. [Details] Date: Current Updated: Daily Producer: Document Center Inc. General Services Administration Index of Federal Specifications, Standards and Commercial Item Descriptions Description: This database lists United States government specifications and standards. [Details] Date: Current Updated: Annually Producer: United States General Services Administration Global Engineering DocSearch Description: Global Engineering Documents is a division of the information company, IHS Engineering. Their DocSearch database allows you to freely search the worlds largest database technical standards. Standards can be ordered from Global Engineering for a fee. DocSearch includes industry, government, military, U.S., international and national standards, specifications, and related publications. Global's collection includes more than one million documents from over 460 organizations worldwide, including AES, AFNOR, AIA/NAS, ANSI, API, ASME, ASTM, BSI, DIN, EIA, Ford, GM, IEC, IEEE, ISO, ITU, JAA, JSA (JIS), NEMA, NFPA, SAE, and TIA. [Details] Record Count: 1,000,000 Date: Current Producer: Global Engineering ILI Standards & Specifications Description: ILI is a commercial supplier of hardcopy & electronic technical standards and specifications. The site includes a free search engine for international standards and specifications. [Details] Date: Current Producer: ILI NDSU Library Catalog Description: ODIN is the catalog of the North Dakota State University Libraries. The catalog contains bibliographic records for all books, periodical subscriptions, documents, maps, and media owned by the Libraries at NDSU. [Details] Record Count: 340,000 Date: 19th century to present date Updated: Daily Producer: NDSU NSSN (National Standards Systems Network): A National Resource for Global Standards Description: The NSSN contains information from more than 600 national, foreign, regional and international organizations producing standards and regulatory documents. NSSN databases route users to over 250,000 references for standards grouped into six categories: approved industry standards; approved international standards; approved U.S. government standards; industry standards under development; international standards under development; and U.S. government standards under development. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Catalog is also available through NSSN. [Details] Record Count: 250,000+ Date: Current Updated: Weekly Producer: American National Standards Institute, National Standards Systems Network

VIII. DISSERTATIONS AND THESES

Dissertations and theses have two features which are valuable to those doing research: (1) since they are required to be unique and contribute new information, they deal with topics which are on the leading edge of progress; and (2) they generally have fairly extensive bibliographies. The following list of directional sources will help you find theses and dissertations on your topic. You will find dissertations and theses completed at NDSU in the ODIN catalog under the paper's author, subject, or title. Search "te 'department name' thes#" in the catalog for theses and dissertations from specific academic departments at NDSU. NDSU has few theses that were completed at other institutions. Many theses and dissertations are available through interlibrary loan or are available for purchase through University Microfilms International. The Center for Research Libraries and the British Library are two major sources of foreign dissertations. The Reference Desk or the Interlibrary Loan Office in the Main Library can help you locate and request items.

Comprehensive Dissertation Index. 1861+. Annual. The best printed index to doctoral dissertations and recent masters degree theses. The index is divided by subject, and the entries for each author include a code that refers to a specific entry in Dissertation Abstracts International. Dissertation Abstracts International is available for computer searching from 1861 to date online. Contact a librarian. (Ref. Microfilm Z5053 .D57)

IX. CURRENT AWARENESS SERVICES

The following services can help you keep up on developments in your field or help provide you with the latest information in your research areas. The library would be glad to assist you in using these services.

Agricola (via EBSCO) Description: Index to publications and resources encompassing all aspects of agriculture and allied disciplines, including animal and veterinary sciences, entomology, plant sciences, forestry, aquaculture and fisheries, farming and farming systems, agricultural economics, extension and education, food and human nutrition, and earth and environmental sciences. Provided by the National Agricultural Library. [Details] Community of Science (COS) Description: COS is the leading Internet site for the global R&D community. COS brings together the world's most prominent scientists and researchers at more than 1,600 universities, corporations and government agencies worldwide. COS provides tools and services that enable these professionals to communicate, exchange information and find the people and technologies that are important to their work. These services include: COS Expertise®, the database of detailed, first person profiles of more than 480,000 R&D professionals; COS Funding Opportunities™, the largest source of grant information on the Web; COS Abstract Management System™, an online publishing solution for universities and professional societies; and customized access to a range of professional reference databases. [Details] Record Count: 500,000 Date: current Updated: Daily Producer: Community of Science, Inc. SPIRS System (WinSpirs, MacSpirs, WebSpirs) Description: The SilverPlatter Information Retrieval System (SPIRS) is an interface to several important bibliographic databases at NDSU: Biological Abstracts, AGRICOLA (agriculture), CAB Abstracts (agriculture), Life Sciences, MEDLINE (medicine), PsycINFO (psychology), Transport (transportation engineering), INSPEC (physics, electrical engineering, computer science), the Art Index, Current Contents, MLA Bibliography (literature and linguistics), the ERIC Database (education), and GeoRef (Geology). The SPIRS system is available via the web (WebSpirs), or via Macintosh (MacSpirs) or Windows (WinSpirs)telnet clients. [Details] Record Count: 30,000,000+ Date: varies by database Updated: Monthly Producer: Varies

A number of online bibliographic databases offer current-awareness services. Saved computer searches are automatically and periodically updated, and the result of each search is then e-mailed to you.


X. BOOK REVIEWS AND COMPREHENSIVE BIBLIOGRAPHIES

The sources listed below can provide the researcher with an awareness of what books and journals have been and are being published in a particular area of interest. NDSU Libraries also have access to the RLIN database and the OCLC WorldCat database. Finally, you can search the catalogs of many libraries through links provided by the Libraries Directory .

RLIN is the Research Libraries Group shared computerized card catalo