Engineering and physical sciences
This subject category lists recommended databases covering engineering and the physical sciences: chemistry, geosciences, mathematics, physics, and statistics. Many provide full-text sources, otherwise use the citations they provide to request copies via your local library's interlibrary loan service.
arXiv.org from Cornell University Library
arXiv.org from Cornell University Library
ArXiv is a highly-automated electronic, open archive and distribution server for research articles in engineering and the physical sciences. Full text available in a variety of formats, including PDF, HTML, and PS.
ASCE Civil Engineering Database
ASCE Civil Engineering Database
The Civil Engineering Database (CEDB) indexes citations for all ASCE publications. The database covers all the journals, conference proceedings, books, standards, manuals, magazines, and newspapers published by ASCE. Journal papers with abstracts go back to 1970. Non-abstract journal records go back to 1958. The book records are complete dating back to the early 1900s.
Astrophysics Data System Abstract Service from SAO/NASA
Astrophysics Data System Abstract Service from SAO/NASA
Search or browse full text and citations to articles, conference proceedings, reports, data catalogs, dissertations, and digitized books in astronomy and astrophysics. Includes scans of historical astronomical publications. 1800s-present.
ChemIDplus Advanced from the NLM
ChemIDplus Advanced from the NLM
Searches the NLM ChemIDplus database of over 370,000 chemicals and displays numerous properties (and sometimes lists citations for sources of the data, but it does not search article citations directly). Allows various search capabilities beyond the Lite version including chemical structure, toxicity, and physical property searching. You will need a web browser that has a recent version of Java installed. There is a structure drawing and display applet named Marvin. An alternative method to provide the capabilities needed to accept a structure query is the Chime plug-in.
Encyclopedia of Life (EOL)
Encyclopedia of Life (EOL)
The Encyclopedia of Life is a collaborative effort to gather and share descriptions of all living things. Content includes photos and videos, bibliographic links, distribution maps, and taxonomies of animals, plants, and microorganisms.
National Climatic Data Center
National Climatic Data Center
The National Climatic Data Center provides data sets on climate and weather, plus full-text publications in PDF that summarize this data. Free access to some data sets requires connecting from a campus computer or through Off Campus Sign In.
NASA Technical Report Server (NTRS)
NASA Technical Report Server (NTRS)
NTRS indexes citations, full-text documents, and multimedia content from NACA and NASA publications and research reports. Content includes conference papers, journal articles, meeting papers, patents, research reports, theses and dissertations, images, movies, and technical videos. Full text available as PDFs. 1903-present.
TranStats from the U.S. Department of Transportation
TranStats from the U.S. Department of Transportation
TranStats indexes statistical data on all forms of transportation from agencies in USDOT. Much of the data can be downloaded in spreadsheet or statistical software formats. 1990-present.
TRID International Transport Research Documentation from TRB
TRID International Transport Research Documentation from TRB
TRID indexes citations, abstracts, and some full text of journal articles, books, conference proceedings, technical reports, environmental impact statements, and theses on transportation research. It integrates the former TRIS and ITRD databases.
Wolfram MathWorld
Wolfram MathWorld
Wolfram MathWorld provides full-text reference articles (with bibliographic citations), a glossary of mathematical terms, downloadable Mathematica notebooks, and a guide to Mathematica.
Legend
Resource is restricted to current Virginia Tech students, faculty, and staff. Use Off Campus Sign In if not on the campus network.
Resource is licensed for Virginia Tech alumni access. Use Alumni Library Portal Sign In to access. Freely accessible database, available to anyone without restriction
Sponsored by VIVA, the Virtual Library of Virginia.
Mobile interface available, see description for link. Screencast tutorial available, icon linked to list. Contents of this database are in Summon.
Resource provides Get VText links to access full text.
Resource provides open access publishing opportunities and open access publications. Resource provides self archiving opportunities and open access documents.Access online databases at your local library
May require registration with your local library
Freely accessible databases
Listed here are databases that have no access restrictions (you don't need to be a current student to search them). Some databases provided free access to only a part of their content; check the database description for details.
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