Mechanical Engineering 460 Design Project Research and Information Resources in Mechanical Engineering 01 February 2012 Randy Reichardt Science and Technology Library randy.reichardt@ualberta.ca 492-7911 http://www.ualberta.ca/~science3/mece460-12.pdf
Outline of Presentation Science and Technology Library, NEOS Libraries Catalogue Mechanical Engineering Literature databases of importance using RefWorks for citation management related materials engineering resources handbooks, manuals, directories, patents, encyclopedias, dbs, standards, web sites. Do engineers in industry need good research skills? Ways to contact me
Science and Technology Library (Cameron - floors 1-4) Houses journals and books on mechanical engineering; all located on 3 rd floor eplgo: Satellite branch of Edmonton Public Library (EPL) in Cameron Library Students can register their OneCard with EPL 2 nd Floor now features imacs U of A Libraries are part of the NEOS Libraries Consortium 52 libraries in 18 library systems in and near Edmonton
Where do library and information resources fit in to your Problem Solving Strategies?
Mechanical Engineering Literature Many different sources and formats: Journals, conference publications, databases, monographs, encyclopedias, handbooks & manuals, product directories, web sites, patents, standards... Use the Mechanical Engineering Resource Guide to start your research
Database list Ways to contact me: IM, Facebook, email
List of suggested databases
Useful Resources RefWorks RefWorks is a web-based citation management program that enables you to: download, gather, and store references from databases and library catalogues automatically format citations and bibliographies in seconds connect to your RefWorks account anywhere there's web access share your citations with other RefWorks users Web site: From Library Home Page - www.library.ualberta.ca; click on RefWorks link in the left column C4W Centre for Writers FREE one-on-one & group writing support on any subject, at any level Location: 1-42 Assiniboia Hall Web site: www.c4w.arts.ualberta.ca Email: centreforwriters@ualberta.ca
Selected Databases of Interest to Mechanical Engineers Compendex (1884- ) (#5 on list) The primary database for searching engineering literature. International coverage of all fields of engineering and technology, including mechanical engineering. SAE Digital Library (1906-) (#32 on list) Index to thousands of SAE technical papers and standards. Full-text of SAE Technical Papers available from 1998-present. Requires Username and PW. Web of Science (1900 - ) (#39 on list) Indexes >8,000 peer-reviewed journals. Provides bibliographic data and cited references. Also allows for Citation Searching
Full-text Handbook Databases CRCnetBASE (#7 on list) >4,000 titles over many subject disciplines; mech eng coverage >340 titles vibration, HVAC, thermodynamics, nanotechnology, fluid dynamics, heat transfer, combustion, measurement, instrumentation and sensors, and more. Knovel Library (#19 on list) >1,815 handbooks and mini-databases; coverage includes mechanical engineering, fluid mechanics, gas and fluid transport, rheology, HVAC, vibration, strength of materials, machine design
Why search patent literature? 80% of patent data are not published elsewhere! most private enterprises, especially large companies, publish in the patent literature before, or to the exclusion of, the scientific literature New technology and inventions are most often first disclosed in patents Discovering research ideas and solving problems Predicting hot-areas of research that can impact on current products and those that are in the development stage Avoiding re-inventing the wheel and spending a lot of money doing it Avoid infringement Keep tabs on your company s competitors by monitoring patents in a given area of technology, or by a company, university or an individual Searches for potential cooperation partners and licensors
Patent Sources United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Web Patent Database http://www.uspto.gov/patft/index.html full-text coverage from 1 January 1976 http://pat2pdf.org full text of all US patents from #1 (13 July 1836) The Canadian Patent Database http://patents1.ic.gc.ca/ Full text images of Canadian patents from 15 August 1978.
Standards Sources Standard: establishes parameters for design, capacity, or property characteristics which permit interchangeability of parts and materials Standards available online via U of A Libraries include: API, ASHRAE, ASME (includes BPVC), ASTM, AWS, CSA, EIA (Electronic Industries Alliance), GPA (Gas Processors Assn), IEEE, ISA, ISO, NACE, NFPA (Nat Fire Protection Assn), TAPPI full print collections include:, SAE-J, ACI and other standards, and selected holdings of ANSI SAE J (Ground Vehicle Standards) available by contacting Randy Standards db: IHS Standards Expert If you need a standard and we don t have it, contact me asap!
Industry Expectations of the New Engineer Are database searching and information gathering skills something a new engineer may need in her or his first professional job, and beyond? Engineers must be aware of the information resources offered by their company, and beyond - the question is: WHY?
With research and db searching expertise, the New Engineer (you!) will be able to bring forward new ideas and concepts in these areas: Developing new or upgrading existing products Improving processes Root cause analysis of equipment failure problems Integrating different kinds of technology into your company s products and processes Searching for new suppliers or components Investigating current uses and applications of your company s products
Beyond locating data and solving problems, new engineers will need research skills to: Confirm existence of an experiment or test to avoid duplication of effort Find recognized experts in their fields Locate consultants that can solve complex questions Identify trends in venture capital spending Find revenue opportunities such as contracts from government sources Locate technologies which are licensable (potential revenue) Identify new and emerging research areas which your company may be interested in pursuing, leading to new technical and financial success
Beyond locating data and solving problems, new engineers will need research skills to: Identify and monitor others working on technologies of interest to your company (many companies expect their incoming engineers to be aware of emerging startups, which may lead to acquisition) Locate and create intellectual property for your engineering firm, such as patents Maintain currency in changing technology and product life cycles from creation to success Adapted from: (Rodrigues, Ronald J. Industry expectations of the new engineer. Science and Technology Libraries, v19 n3/4, 2001, pp 179-188)
Why Developing Strong Research Skills is Important for the Engineer Engineering firms expect new engineers to hit the ground running Timeliness: high-tech products delivered six months late earn 1/3 less profit over five years; products delivered 50% over budget (but on time) diminish profit by only 4%; Value and cost: Acquiring information has direct and indirect costs; money saved by not doing an information search many be insignificant compared to costs based on decisions made with incomplete information; Accessibility of information sources: Information on external technical developments is essential to stay competitive; Reliability and content on information sources: the engineer must be able to create a mosaic of information from what s available, and if not, know where to begin looking; awareness of appropriate databases and resources is critical; Time management: the business mantra is = developing good research skills will help the engineer streamline the process of finding outside information, reducing time pressures to complete assignments and project
Contact Info Randy Reichardt, Mechanical Engineering Librarian Office phone: 780.492.7911 Email: randy.reichardt@ualberta.ca in Mech E 5-8A Thursdays, 12:00-14:00 you can also send me a message via my facebook page http://www.ualberta.ca/~science3/mece460-12.pdf