Welcome!
If you
are taking a physics class where there is outside-of-lab
research involved, chances are you need to use library resources
to find that information!
The
links and tips in this guide are designed to help you find what you need
without having to search useless sites, waste time wading
through un-related search results, and to avoid plain old, bad
research in general.
Contacting Susan:
It's usually
easy to get hold of me - I'm pretty much always around, and if I'm not
at my desk or in the library (in which case I'm in a meeting or teaching
a class) leave me a message and I'll get back to you ASAP - I do check
my voicemail and e-mail frequently!
Susan's
e-mail:
sebrazer@salisbury.edu
Susan's phone
number: 410-546-4370
(on campus,
x64370)
Susan's IM
name: SusanSULibrary
Books
Tip #2: Almost as
important as understanding your subject is knowing how to
describe it using keywords. Computers don't think like
people do, and using the proper keywords can make the difference
between getting 5 search results back versus 55. Try
writing down a varied list of keywords on your subject and
search them all in different combinations of one or two at a
time - you'll get VERY different results - and you'll be glad
you took the time to do so!
LINK #2: While books are not as
frequently used in the sciences as journal articles are, they
still hold valuable and often necessary information, and as such
should not be overlooked. You can easily search through
the entire USM system's book holdings by using the link below.
If you find a book that you want/need that is not available at
SU, you can put a hold on that book and have it sent to you here
in about a week - at no cost - all done electronically on the
computer by you via the link below...
Search & Request Books in the Whole USM System
Journals & Databases
TIP #1: When searching for
journal articles in the area of physics, it is integral
that you first completely understand your topic and what it is
you are looking for. Because it is so important that you
have a firm grasp of the basics on your topic, I always
recommend that people who feel they are a bit unsure of
themselves look up their topic(s) in a
basic science encyclopedia (that link will take you to
Access Science, a very good general science encyclopedia)
first to get a general understanding of what they are looking
for before starting to search for journal articles.
LINK #1: The link
below will take you straight to all of the article-containing
databases that the library has access to. These databases
are NOT the same thing as what is available to anyone/everyone
out on the web - they are much much much better! They have
been screened, reviewed, etc. and therefore contain valid
scientific research that has in itself been thoroughly reviewed
and scrutinized. These are the databases you always want
to start off searching before anything else!
Journal Article Databases for Science & Medicine
List of Physics & Astronomy journals
available in Science Direct
NB:
Astronomy & Astrophysics; American Journal of Physics;
Astrophysical Journal - these three journals can all be searched
via the PsychInfo database...
PROLA - Physical Review
Online Archive - a searchable database from the American
Physical Society
Class Guides
If you've forgotten what you need to do to find books/journals
in the library, click on the link below for a quick (and printable) "refresher".
Books/Journals Refresher
Want to learn some more about Engineering? Follow the link below to
a Power Point presentation I have created to help you learn more about
this profession, as well as those who have come before you and left
their mark on the Engineering world...
Engineering Presentation (PowerPoint)
Websites
