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.

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.

Founded in 1932, Annual Reviews provides researchers and professors with a definitive academic resource in 37 scientific disciplines. Annual Reviews saves you time by synthesizing the vast amount of primary research literature and identifying the principal contributions in your field.

Editorial committees comprised of the most distinguished scholars in the discipline select all topics for review, and the articles are written by authors who are recognized experts in the field. Annual Reviews publications are among the highest cited publications by impact factor according to the Institute for Scientific Information.

Some of the titles include:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Biochemistry
• Biomedical Engineering
• Biophysics
• Cell and Developmental Biology
• Computer Science
• Fluid Mechanics
• Materials Research
• Nuclear and Particle Science
• Physical Chemistry

Browse the complete list (log in required when off campus).

An international group of leading technological thinkers identified the biggest challenges for engineers in the 21st century. Their conclusions are now available in the report, Grand Challenges for Engineering. The National Academy of Engineering released the report, which identifies 14 areas awaiting engineering solutions, on February 15, 2008.

Here’s the full list of challenges from the academy’s experts:

• Make solar energy economical
• Provide energy from fusion
• Develop carbon sequestration methods
• Manage the nitrogen cycle
• Provide access to clean water
• Restore and improve urban infrastructure
• Advance health informatics
• Engineer better medicines
• Reverse-engineer the brain
• Prevent nuclear terror
• Secure cyberspace
• Enhance virtual reality
• Advance personalized learning
• Engineer the tools of scientific discovery

Open Access publishing continues to rise at an astronomical rate as researchers hope to maximize their impact by providing free access to their scholarly articles online. But all this newly available material does little good if you don’t know where to find it. Fortunately the good folks at Lund University in Sweden have created the Directory of Open Access Journals.

The Directory of Open Access Journals is a carefully vetted list of fully open access, peer-reviewed scholarly journals covering all subjects and languages. It currently lists a total of 2,870 journals, with a net growth rate of 1.2 titles per calendar day over the past year. The directory aims to be a “one stop shop for users to Open Access Journals.”

Subjects covered in the Directory include: [Read more →]

TechXtra is a free service which can help you find articles, books, the best websites, the latest industry news, job announcements, technical reports, technical data, full text eprints, the latest research, thesis & dissertations, teaching and learning resources and more, in engineering, mathematics and computing.

From the website:

TechXtra searches parts of the Web that Google doesn’t, and TechXtra helps you find subject-based information, which Google doesn’t do very well. Many of the things you’ll find through TechXtra come from the “Hidden Web,” and are not indexed by Google.

An important note: Search Dibner Library’s subscription databases first since we may have paid access to some of the resources you will find on TechXtra. Also remember that if they are not free and we don’t have a subscription, you may always make a request using our online document delivery form.

TechXtra is now available in the list of Research Tools in the blog’s right sidebar. Give Google a rest and check out the other great tools listed there when you want to conduct a more focused search.