Using the Engineering Literature

The field of engineering is becoming increasingly interdisciplinary, and there is an ever-growing need for engineers to investigate engineering and scientific resources outside their own area of expertise. However, studies have shown that quality information-finding skills often tend to be lacking in the engineering profession.





Using the Engineering Literature is a guide to the wide range of resources in all fields of engineering. The information age has greatly impacted the way engineers find information. While print is still important, resources are increasingly being made available in electronic formats, and the Web is now a major resource. Engineers have an effect, whether direct or not, on almost all aspects of our lives, and it is vital that they find the right information at the right time to create better products and processes.





The book takes an engineering sub-discipline approach, detailing those resources that are most important for the practicing engineer and the librarians who work in engineering. Each chapter provides a short history and description of the discipline, then lists the most important resources by format: handbooks, dictionaries, texts, journals, websites, etc. Most references include a short annotation. The authors of each chapter are well-known, experienced librarians or faculty in the appropriate engineering discipline, sharing their expertise and experiences with engineering information.





This is a guide to resources that are often unknown to the practicing engineer. It also serves as a textbook for the library school student or new engineering librarian, as well as a time-saving handbook for current librarians. The arrangement of materials provides easy and logical access to evaluated resources in engineering and supporting disciplines, providing a tool that is useful in reference services and collection development.