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 below 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.

Journal Article Searching

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

Book Searching

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

Don't forget, if you have any problems or questions or just need some advice, be sure to contact your Science Librarian - Susan - for help.  All of her contact information can be found under the "Contacting Susan" link on the left-hand side of the page!