LibGuides: General Engineering Research Guide: Articles

Databases for Topic

These are the best databases we have for research in Electrical Engineering. There are more options, especially for cross-disciplinary research on the Secondary Databases tab. You can see all of our databases on the Databases A-Z list.

Inspec This link opens in a new window
IET Inspec is one of the most definitive databases for subject-specific and interdisciplinary research in the fields of physics, electronics, computing and engineering. It contains over 22 million records of research and is used globally within universities, corporate and government organisations to ensure discoverability of essential content.
IET Inspec is integrated with the Elsevier Engineering Village platform.
Engineering Village - Compendex This link opens in a new window
Nearly 19 million references and abstracts from thousands of journals, trade magazines, conference proceedings and technical reports. All aspects of engineering and applied science are covered: bioengineering, agricultural engineering and food technology, computers and data processing, electronics and communications, mechanical and automotive engineering, and civil engineering. Coverage from 1969 to present.
IEEE Xplore This link opens in a new window
Indexes publications from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. SDSU subscribes to the journals but not the proceedings that are indexed in this publication.
Science Citation Index Expanded - Web of Science This link opens in a new window
This multidisciplinary database provides journal citations and abstracts from 1992 to present. The database is a core resource for finding high-impact articles, identifying emerging trends in research, identifying potential research collaborators and integrate searching, writing, and reference list creation in one process, with literature from over 6650 leading scientific and technical journals addressing 150 disciplines. Coverage from 1969 to present.
ScienceDirect Publications This link opens in a new window
Provides full-text access to scholarly peer-reviewed scientific, medical, and technical literature. Includes over 15 million articles from more than 3,800 peer-reviewed journals and over 37,000 books, with coverage from 1823 to present. Subjects include physical sciences, engineering, life sciences, health sciences, humanities, and social sciences.
Applied Science & Technology Source This link opens in a new window
Covers research and development within the applied sciences and computing disciplines. Full-text and indexed content from leading trade journals, professional and technical society journals, and conference proceedings.
WorldWide Science This link opens in a new window
A global science gateway comprised of national and international scientific databases and portals which accelerates scientific discovery and progress by providing one-stop searching of databases from around the world and provides real-time searching and translation of globally-dispersed multilingual scientific literature.

In addition to the databases listed above, the following databases can be useful in finding articles and other resources related to health, physical education, and recreation.

US Patent & Trademark Office This link opens in a new window
This office registers and maintains patents and trademarks in the United States. For U.S. patents, this is the definitive database from which other collections get their data.
OSTI.gov This link opens in a new window
Formerly SciTech Connect, this resource is the primary search tool for the Department of Energy (DOE) funded science, technology, and engineering research and development results. Contains nearly 3 million citations, with citations for 1.5 million journal articles and 445,000 full-text DOE-funded reports. Also provides information about the history and organization of the Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI). Resources date back to 1948.
WorldWide Science This link opens in a new window
A global science gateway comprised of national and international scientific databases and portals which accelerates scientific discovery and progress by providing one-stop searching of databases from around the world and provides real-time searching and translation of globally-dispersed multilingual scientific literature.
Dissertations & Theses Global This link opens in a new window
The world's most comprehensive collection of dissertations and theses from around the world, spanning from 1861 to the present day, and offering full text for most of the dissertations added since 1997. This database was previously known as Dissertation Abstracts International.
Dissertations & Theses at South Dakota State University This link opens in a new window
Dissertations and theses produced by South Dakota State University students. Not all dissertations and theses are available full-text in this database. Indexing from 1958-2011.
ASCE CE Database This link opens in a new window
A supplement to the ASCE Library, searches publications of the American Society of Civil Engineers for topics such as Bridges; Urban Planning; and Aerospace, Architectural, Earthquake, Environmental, and Ocean Engineering. Coverage dates back to 1872.
ASCE Library This link opens in a new window
Provides access to 36 journals, the annual Conference papers/proceedings, and eBooks and Standards issued by ASCE, covering the latest research in civil & environmental engineering.
ASTM Digital Library This link opens in a new window
ASTM Digital Library includes access to all ASTM standards, nine journals, selected technical reports, proceedings, and bulletins. Users are required to create a free account and log in to view full text. Additional information on accessing standards is available here.
TRID This link opens in a new window
Integrated database that combines the records from the Transportation Research Board’s Transportation Research Information Services (TRIS) Database and the OECD’s Joint Transport Research Centre’s International Transport Research Documentation (ITRD) Database. TRID provides access to more than one million records of transportation research worldwide.
GreenFILE This link opens in a new window
Focused on environmental topics including global climate change, green building, pollution, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, and more. Includes scholarly, government, and general-interest sources.
This database is provided by the South Dakota State Library and the Institute of Museum Library Services.

You can browse our journals by topic.

Electrical Engineering Journals

Or, search for a specific journal title

Think about where you are searching for articles. Use library databases first, Google Scholar after library databases and end with a basic Google search. Here is an explanation of why.
Think about what type of information you need. Papers and speeches need more academic, research based information and a general interest. For instance, if you see a movie and are curious about a phenomenon or a person, looking it/them up in Wikipedia or on Google might be fine but when writing a paper about the phenomenon or person, you will want reliable, scholarly, in-depth information that you can verify. Here is more information on quality of information.
There are many strategies you can use to narrow, broaden, or refine your search. Check out the Research 101: Search Strategies pages for more information (click the down arrow on the right of the Search Strategies tab to see more information) such as:
- Generating keywords
- Boolean operators (searching with AND, OR, and NOT)
- Subject terms
- Citation searching
- Mining reference lists

Alternate Research Databases

If you do not find what you need in one of the top recommended databases, there are several other databases that are relevant to Engineering research that you might also try searching.

American Mathematical Society Journals This link opens in a new window
Covers topics such as computational mathematics, theory and probability, and statistics. The American Mathematical Society provides access to over 11 full-text, peer-reviewed journals, along with a variety of other offerings, including articles, book reviews and reports.
Water Research Foundation This link opens in a new window
The Water Research Foundation is a member-supported, international, non-profit organization that sponsors research to enable water utilities, public health agencies, and other professionals to provide safe and affordable drinking water to consumers. Some items may not be available to SDSU users but can be requested through Interlibrary Loan.
US Patent & Trademark Office This link opens in a new window
This office registers and maintains patents and trademarks in the United States. For U.S. patents, this is the definitive database from which other collections get their data.
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
Includes more than 1,700 leading academic journals and 45,000 Ebooks in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences, as well as other materials valuable for academic work.
Dissertations & Theses Global This link opens in a new window
The world's most comprehensive collection of dissertations and theses from around the world, spanning from 1861 to the present day, and offering full text for most of the dissertations added since 1997. This database was previously known as Dissertation Abstracts International.
Dissertations & Theses at South Dakota State University This link opens in a new window
Dissertations and theses produced by South Dakota State University students. Not all dissertations and theses are available full-text in this database. Indexing from 1958-2011.
Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps - South Dakota This link opens in a new window
Collection of historical maps of South Dakota communities created by Sanborn Map Company from 1867 to 1970. Large scale plans of a city or town, drawn to a scale of 50 feet to an inch, created to assist fire insurance companies as they assessed the risk associated with insuring a particular property. Includes building outlines, size and shape, windows and doors, street and sidewalk widths, boundaries, and property numbers. Plans often include details on construction materials and building use; and also depict pipelines, railroads, wells, water mains, dumps, and other features likely to affect the property's vulnerability to earthquake, fire, and flood. Multiple editions allow community development to be tracked over time.
ScienceDirect Publications This link opens in a new window
Provides full-text access to scholarly peer-reviewed scientific, medical, and technical literature. Includes over 15 million articles from more than 3,800 peer-reviewed journals and over 37,000 books, with coverage from 1823 to present. Subjects include physical sciences, engineering, life sciences, health sciences, humanities, and social sciences.

Quick Links

Other, more specific engineering research guides

Engineering Department Webpages:

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Friday: 7:45 am - 9:00 pm
Librarians available: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

Saturday: 10:00 am - 9:00 pm

Sunday: 1:00 pm - midnight
Librarians available: 1:00 pm - 9:00 pm

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Interlibrary Loan

Although Briggs Library has an extensive collection, you may need items that are not available at the Library. No worries! You can request those articles, books, and other materials through Interlibrary Loan.

Interlibrary Loan

Keep in mind that the process may take from a week to ten days. Start your research early!

Many of our databases have an Interlibrary Loan Request button for articles not available in that particular database. Before submitting the loan request, be sure to check our Journals List for the title of the source or periodical (i.e. New York Times).