PolyThinkers Pad » Engineering http://www.poly.edu/library/blog fueling polythinking with library news, tips and more Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:26:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 en Start your research with our new library guides http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2009/09/29/start-your-research-with-our-new-library-guides/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2009/09/29/start-your-research-with-our-new-library-guides/#comments Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:29:09 +0000 Ingrid researchweb resources http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2009/09/29/start-your-research-with-our-new-library-guides/ Have you checked out our new multimedia library guides?  We currently have 18 guides on an array of topics from chemical engineering to copyright law.  These guides are the best starting points for finding articles, books, video, news, and more in your areas of interest.  Scroll through the sample guides below or browse the complete list.

You can access these guides directly from the library home page using the “Subject Guides” tab on the search box.  More guides are being added on a regular basis. If you’d like to see a guide for a particular area, let us know!

]]> http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2009/09/29/start-your-research-with-our-new-library-guides/feed/ New electronic collection: Synthesis Digital Library of Computer Science and Engineering http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2009/08/12/new-electronic-collection-synthesis-digital-library-of-computer-science-and-engineering/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2009/08/12/new-electronic-collection-synthesis-digital-library-of-computer-science-and-engineering/#comments Wed, 12 Aug 2009 18:35:18 +0000 Ingrid biological engcomputer sciencedatabaseselectrical-computer eng http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2009/08/12/new-electronic-collection-synthesis-digital-library-of-computer-science-and-engineering/ The Dibner Library is pleased to announce the addition of Synthesis Digital Library of Computer Science and Engineering to its collection of electronic resources.  The collection consists of over 30 subject series in many areas of engineering, primarily related to electrical engineering, computer science, and bioengineering.

Each series consists of electronic books that synthesize an important research or development topic, authored by an expert contributor to the field.  The e-books (or “lectures” as they are called)  range from 50-275 pages and are available in PDF format.  They provide students and researchers a convenient way to get a better understanding of an area of interest.

The range of content level in Synthesis is intended to be fairly broad, from state-of-the-art research overviews to presentations appropriate for undergraduates or professionals seeking a review.  To find out more about the collection, read this detailed review.

]]> http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2009/08/12/new-electronic-collection-synthesis-digital-library-of-computer-science-and-engineering/feed/ New Database: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2009/05/27/new-database-american-institute-of-aeronautics-and-astronautics/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2009/05/27/new-database-american-institute-of-aeronautics-and-astronautics/#comments Wed, 27 May 2009 20:02:53 +0000 Ingrid aerospacedatabases http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2009/05/27/new-database-american-institute-of-aeronautics-and-astronautics/ Want to be a rocket scientist? You’re in luck!

The Dibner Library is pleased to announce the addition of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) electronic library to its collection. Containing over four decades of technical information and documents, this database is the source for all things aerospace.  AIAA’s seven technical journals feature original research papers spanning the spectrum of aerospace science and technology.

To limit your search results to full text articles, check the “Search My Publications & Papers” box.

AIAA is the largest professional society devoted to the progress of engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense.

]]> http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2009/05/27/new-database-american-institute-of-aeronautics-and-astronautics/feed/ Trial Database: Synthesis Digital Library of Engineering and Computer Science http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2009/05/05/trial-database-synthesis-digital-library-of-engineering-and-computer-science/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2009/05/05/trial-database-synthesis-digital-library-of-engineering-and-computer-science/#comments Tue, 05 May 2009 20:24:36 +0000 Ingrid biological engcomputer sciencedatabaseselectrical-computer eng http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2009/05/05/trial-database-synthesis-digital-library-of-engineering-and-computer-science/ Now until June 1st, take the opportunity to try out: Synthesis Digital Computer Science and Engineering Collection - a new electronic collection covering 30 engineering areas, primarily related to electrical engineering, computer science, and bioengineering.  It contains relatively brief introductions (50-250 pages) to complex topics written at an advanced undergraduate level.  These introductions (called “lectures”) provide students and researchers with an excellent opportunity to learn about a new topic or get up to speed quickly in a new research area.

To access the collection, go to www.morganclaypool.com from a computer on campus (off campus access is not yet available).  You can browse by series to find a topic that you are interested in or search for specific terms.

The range of content level in Synthesis is intended to be fairly broad, from state-of-the-art research overviews to presentations appropriate for undergraduates or professionals seeking a review.  During the trial period you are free to view, print and download whatever you would like without restriction.

To find out more about the collection, read this detailed review.

If Synthesis is a resource you would like the library to subscribe to, let us know by leaving a comment.

]]> http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2009/05/05/trial-database-synthesis-digital-library-of-engineering-and-computer-science/feed/ In the future we will all have the “Sixth Sense” http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2009/04/13/in-the-future-we-will-all-have-the-sixth-sense/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2009/04/13/in-the-future-we-will-all-have-the-sixth-sense/#comments Mon, 13 Apr 2009 18:18:47 +0000 Ingrid computer scienceelectrical-computer engtechnology http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2009/04/13/in-the-future-we-will-all-have-the-sixth-sense/ What do you get when you combine a smart phone, a tiny projector, and a camera?  Seamless access to information that makes the iphone seem quaint.

There is no simple way to describe what the “Sixth Sense” is.  The Sixth Sense website states it’s “a wearable gestural interface that augments the physical world around us with digital information and lets us use natural hand gestures to interact with that information.”  In other words, it’s a cool gadget that brings to life the gesture-based interfaces of Minority Report.

To really appreciate the amazing capabilities of this technology, you must watch the video below.  If you have the time, watch the whole video for an explanation by Pattie Maes. If not, go to minute 3:00, where Pranav Mistry—the MIT student who developed the Sixth Sense—shows how it works.

]]> http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2009/04/13/in-the-future-we-will-all-have-the-sixth-sense/feed/ Staying current in Electrical Engineering http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2009/02/17/staying-current-in-electrical-engineering/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2009/02/17/staying-current-in-electrical-engineering/#comments Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:43:15 +0000 Ingrid computer scienceelectrical-computer engresearch http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2009/02/17/staying-current-in-electrical-engineering/ IEEE publishes loads of high quality literature in electrical engineering, computer science, and electronics.  An easy way to keep up to date with the latest research is to review IEEE”s Top 100 Documents page.  You can scan the citations and abstracts of the top 100 documents accessed last month.

Another great way to stay current is to view the most recently added material at the Content Updates page.  Or better yet, sign up for Email Alerts or take advantage of their RSS Feeds and have new content notifications come to you!

]]> http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2009/02/17/staying-current-in-electrical-engineering/feed/ New Search Technology added to ACM Digital Library http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2009/01/26/new-search-technology-added-to-acm-digital-library/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2009/01/26/new-search-technology-added-to-acm-digital-library/#comments Mon, 26 Jan 2009 14:24:15 +0000 Ingrid computer scienceelectrical-computer engresearch http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2009/01/26/new-search-technology-added-to-acm-digital-library/ The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) “the world’s largest educational and scientific computing society,” recently introduced a new search capability to its digital library.  This new technology enables users not only to explore existing data but also to discover unexpected information that goes beyond simple query results and helps to foster more research.

The new guided navigation allows users to refine search results by keyword, people, publications, or conferences by selecting from links along the left side of the search results. Additionally, users can discover related journals, magazines, interest groups, or meetings by clicking the tabs along the top of search results.

You can access the ACM Digital Library via our web site.  It contains full text of ACM magazines, journals, and proceedings, with a six-year online archive and a bibliographical reference database going back to 1985 for most ACM publications.

Learn more about this new search technology on ACM’s information page.

]]> http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2009/01/26/new-search-technology-added-to-acm-digital-library/feed/ Books24×7: business, technical and engineering books online http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2009/01/06/books24x7-business-technical-and-engineering-books-online/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2009/01/06/books24x7-business-technical-and-engineering-books-online/#comments Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:22:53 +0000 Ingrid computer sciencedatabaseselectrical-computer engtechnology http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2009/01/06/books24x7-business-technical-and-engineering-books-online/ You can now access Books24×7, a leading  provider of business, technical and engineering content, via Dibner Library.  Books24×7 contains thousands of digitized “best-in-class” books, book summaries, research reports and best practices.

books24×7.jpg

Search for content in fields such as networks & protocols, software engineering, web development, and multimedia. You can also use the Browse Topics tree (pictured above rightside)  to drill down the list of topics and subtopics to find lists of titles.

Books24×7 has many useful features such as saving titles to folders and sharing bookmarks with others.  For a quick overview, look for the “Take the Virtual Tour” button on Books24×7 homepage.

]]> http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2009/01/06/books24x7-business-technical-and-engineering-books-online/feed/ Web of Science coverage broadened and enhanced http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/12/04/web-of-science-coverage-broadened-and-enhanced/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/12/04/web-of-science-coverage-broadened-and-enhanced/#comments Thu, 04 Dec 2008 19:38:36 +0000 Ingrid databasesresearch http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/12/04/web-of-science-coverage-broadened-and-enhanced/ If you have used the Web of Science citation database before, you know how useful it is to track prior research and see who is citing your work.  Thanks to recent enhancements, Web of Science has become an even more powerful research tool.  It now covers over 10,000 of the highest impact journals worldwide, including Open Access journals and over 110,000 conference proceedings.  You’ll find current and retrospective coverage in the sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities dating back to 1900.

But that’s not all - Web of Science  is just one of the databases offered by the newly redesigned ISI Web of Knowledge.  You can also access the following specialized databases:

  •  Biological Abstracts: (1969-present) An expansive index to the world’s life sciences journal literature, with topics ranging from botany to microbiology to pharmacology.
  • BIOSIS Previews: (1969-present) Life sciences and biomedical research covering pre-clinical and experimental research, methods and instrumentation, animal studies, and more.
  • Inspec: (1898-present) A comprehensive index to the global journal and proceedings literature in physics, electrical/electronic engineering, computing, control engineering, and information technology.
  • MEDLINE: (1950-present) the premier database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine lets you explore biomedicine and life sciences, bioengineering, clinical care, and plant and animal science.
  • Journal Citation Reports: (1999-2007) Journal performance metrics offer a systematic, objective means to critically evaluate the world’s leading journals. It delivers quantifiable statistical information based on citation data and helps determine a publication’s impact and influence in the global research community.

(more…)

]]> http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/12/04/web-of-science-coverage-broadened-and-enhanced/feed/ American Chemical Society now available online http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/12/01/american-chemical-society-now-available-online/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/12/01/american-chemical-society-now-available-online/#comments Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:44:07 +0000 Ingrid chemical engchemistrycomputer sciencedatabases http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/12/01/american-chemical-society-now-available-online/ Dibner Library now offers easy online access to the research journals published by the American Chemical Society.  With this new database, you can access some of the most cited peer-reviewed journals in the chemical and related sciences.

In addition to 34 research journals, the society also publishes the premier weekly news magazine of the chemical enterprise, Chemical & Engineering News.  ACS Publications provides searchable access to over 130 years of original research in chemistry, including more than 750,000 articles dating back to the inaugural volume of the Journal of the American Chemical Society in 1879.

ACSThe journals included in this database cover a broad spectrum of scientific disciplines— biotechnology, analytical chemistry, applied chemistry, biochemistry & molecular biology, chemical biology, chemical engineering, computer science, energy & fuels, food science, environmental science, inorganic & nuclear chemistry, material science, medicinal chemistry, organic chemistry, pharmacology, physical chemistry, polymer science, and toxicology.

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