Library Guides: ENG599 Research Skills Guide: Step 3.2 Decide where to search and run searches

Databases

The databases you search depend on your research question and the subject field. Some suggestions are listed below, but do also consult the Library's database list and browse by subject. Remember, you only need to search the most relevant and comprehensive databases in your field.

How many databases do you need to search? Definitely search more than one, and 3-4 are considered necessary for an exhaustive review.

NB - EBSCOhost databases now have a facility for exporting up to 25,000 citations at once into EndNote - if that's what you need to do. Click here for instructions.

Engineering

Engineering Source This link opens in a new window
An EBSCOhost database which covers all aspects of engineering research and practice and includes more than 2000 full-text journals.

Engineering Source indexes more than 3000 journals, and, of these, more than 2000 are available in full-text.

Subjects covered include aerospace, biomedical, civil, electrical, environmental, mechanical, software, and structural engineering.

Source documents includes journals, magazines, trade publications, books, conference papers, and proceedings.

This database is one of many available in EBSCOhost. Once on the EBSCOhost search screen, you can change databases by clicking on the Choose Databases link above the search boxes. All EBSCOhost databases can be searched individually or in any combination.
ProQuest SciTech Premium Collection This link opens in a new window
A comprehensive package of databases in the ProQuest platform, covering the natural and applied sciences.

ProQuest SciTech Premium Collection consists of three subsidiary collections which you can search individually if you wish. Two of these contain further collections/databases in the ProQuest hierarchy:
* Natural Science Collection - consisting of the Agricultural & Environmental Science Collection, the Biological Science Collection, and the Earth, Atmospheric & Aerospace Collection
* Science Database
* Technology Collection - consisting of the Advanced Technologies & Aerospace Collection, and the Materials Science & Engineering Collection.

Content is sourced from scholarly journals, trade and industry journals, magazines, technical reports, conference proceedings, government publications, and more.

Topics include: advanced technologies; aerospace; agricultural science; aquatic science; atmospheric science; biological science; computer science; earth science; engineering; environmental science; materials science; polymer science.

The date range is from 1946 current.

More information is available from ProQuest's SciTech Premium LibGuide.

Once you are in the ProQuest interface, you can change to any other ProQuest database, by clicking on the Change Databases, or Databases, tab at the top left of any ProQuest screen. The databases are listed in a hierarchy. There is another broad collection of databases in the science area: ProQuest's subject package of Science & Technology Databases.
ProQuest Science Database This link opens in a new window
A database of more than 1,000 titles, with more than 750 of these available in full-text, which covers both the general and applied sciences.

Specific subject coverage includes: agricultural science; astronomy; biology; botany; chemistry; computing; environmental science; engineering; health and medical sciences; mathematics; physics; social sciences; statistics; telecommunications; and transportation.

Where full-text is not available, use the Find it - CSU link below the record to link to the full item, if available in another database.

Coverage extends back to 1986.

ProQuest Science Journals is one of many databases available in the ProQuest platform. Once in ProQuest, you can change to another database by clicking on the Change databases link in the breadcrumb trail at the top of the search screen. Other science-related databases in ProQuest include ProQuest SciTech Premium Collection and ProQuest Biological Science Collection, while there is a subject package available at ProQuest Science & Technology Databases. All ProQuest databases can be searched individually or in combination.
IEEE Xplore Digital Library This link opens in a new window
A full-text database of publications from the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) and its publishing partners, including the IET (Institution of Engineering and Technology). These organisations are the world's major electrical and electronic engineering authorities.

Subject content includes electrical and electronics engineering, computer science, and associated topics such as aerospace engineering, biomedical sciences, geosciences, physics, medical imaging, digital animation and media, and telecommunications.

The main content that you have access to in IEEE Xplore is the IEEE/IET Electronic Library (IEL), which includes access to full text articles published since 1988 (and select content published since 1893) from:
* more than 150 IEEE journals, transactions, and magazines;
* 25 IET journals and magazines;
* proceedings from more than 1000 IEEE and IET annual conferences;
* more than 2,100 approved and published IEEE standards in key technology fields;
* the IEEE Standards Dictionary Online.

You also have access to:
* the VDE VERLAG Conference Proceedings, which include AbstractPlus records and select full text published since 2005 from more than 20 annual conference titles. [VDE Verlag is a European technical/scientific publisher]; and to
* individual online journals, including access to all AbstractPlus records and full text published since 2005 from IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems for Video Technology and from IEEE Transactions on Image Processing.

Updating is weekly, and more than 25,000 new IEEE/IET articles are added each month.

Environmental Studies

BioOne This link opens in a new window
An entirely full-text collection of more than 150 peer-reviewed journals, covering biological, ecological, and environmental sciences.

BioOne is a global not-for-profit collaboration which brings together scientific societies, publishers, and libraries to provide access to critical, peer-reviewed research in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences.

This entirely full-text collection of more than 150 journals includes some of the most important academic society journals in their respective disciplines.

When you first log in, you will be in the Advanced Search screen, but you can also browse the database by title, publisher, or collection. (There are 3 "collections" - BioOne.1, BioOne.2, and Open Access. The first two collections represent packages of journals as added to the database, while the third is a small collection of open access journals.)

If you set up your own profile, you can make use of the My BioOne features, which include saved searches, search alerts, and lists of favourite journals.

Eco-Evidence
An online database with information about causal relationships in environmental science studies (registration required)

CSIRO Electronic Journals This link opens in a new window
Multi-subject Australian full-text journal collection published by CSIRO Publishing.

This resource is a collection of about 30 entirely full-text Australian journals published by CSIRO Publishing. The website has a tab for, and lists of, books and CDs, but it is the journals to which Charles Sturt Library subscribes, and which are available in full-text. These cover a broad range of scientific disciplines including mainly agriculture, the plant and animal sciences, and environmental management.

The collection can be searched or browsed. Searching can be limited to a journal or a number of journals. The searching functionality is not very sophisticated, and users are advised to check the Search hints link which is available on the Advanced Search screen. Some users prefer to use another index, such as Web of Science Core Collection or Scopus as a searching tool, and then use the Find it links to link to the full-text within CSIRO Electronic Journals.

Coverage varies with title, but in some cases extends back to the early 1900s. All articles are available in PDF format.

Multidisciplinary

Google Scholar
Set your computer to access full-text content from the CSU Library’s collection of online journals via Google Scholar

Academic Search Complete (EBSCOhost) This link opens in a new window
A huge multi-disciplinary database in the EBSCOhost platform that covers just about all the disciplines and subjects taught and studied at Charles Sturt University.

It includes article records and summaries from more than 12,500 full-text periodicals, and of these, more than 8,500 have full-text as well. There are also records and summaries from more than 13,200 other publications, including books, reports, and conference proceedings.

Subjects covered include nearly all areas of academic study, including arts & literature, business, computer sciences, education, engineering, environmental science, ethnic studies, language & linguistics, medical sciences, science, social sciences, and theology.

Coverage varies with publication title but extends back to 1887.

The database is updated daily.

Academic Research Complete is one of many databases available in EBSCOhost. EBSCOhost also has a number of subject-specific databases, and the Library gives access to packages of subject-related databases in EBSCOhost.

Once on the EBSCOhost search screen, you can change databases by clicking on the Choose Databases link above the search boxes. All EBSCOhost databases can be searched individually or in any combination.

Informit
Informit databases include Australian content and can be restricted to particular subject areas

Other places to look

CITATION INDEXES

These indexes are multidisciplinary as well, and their citation searching functions make a good addition to a comprehensive search.

GREY LITERATURE

Grey literature is research that has not been published commercially, such as in academic journals. For that reason, it's not easy to find it using the usual databases and search engines. However, there is a lot of high quality, grey literature which, depending on your topic, could be relevant to your research question and also help to offset possible publication bias,

Examples of grey literature include government reports, conference proceedings, theses, policy documents and clinical trials. Do be aware that much of it is not peer reviewed, so should be evaluated carefully.

The Library’s guide to Grey Literature covers offers more information, including how to find and evaluate grey literature, and some good sources in different subject areas.

HAND SEARCHING AND MORE

A full systematic review may require even more searching to make sure no stone is left unturned:

Hand searching, which involves reviewing the contents of the major journals and conference proceedings in your subject area page by page.
Contacting authors of key studies or known experts in the field
Checking through reference lists of retrieved articles

Library

ENG599 Research Skills Guide: Step 3.2 Decide where to search and run searches

Databases

Other places to look

Footnote Chasing

Citation searching