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Other Useful Guides
Finding Research Articles
Research articles related to EE and similar topics are collected in many different databases and platforms. Below are several that may be of particular interest for your design project.
- IEEE Xplore This link opens in a new windowAccess to full-text journal articles, conference proceedings and standards published by IEEE and IEE (Institution of Electrical Engineers).
- Materials Science & Engineering Collection (ProQuest) This link opens in a new windowContains engineering related journal articles, figures and tables, technical reports, conference proceedings, magazine articles, and more.
- Engineering Village Compendex This link opens in a new windowProvides comprehensive access to abstracts of the latest engineering research and applied science literature in over 5,000 engineering journals, conferences and technical reports.
- ACM Digital Library This link opens in a new windowSearchable full text for articles, newsletters and conference proceedings published by Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and citations from other major publishers in computing.
- Scopus This link opens in a new windowVery large tool with broad content coverage in engineering, the sciences, social sciences, medicine, arts and humanities. Content comes from journals, conference proceedings, patents and books.
Patents
What is a patent?
A patent gives the inventor the right to “exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, or selling” an invention.
- Parts of a PatentAn interactive document with definitions and explanations for each part of a patent.
- Patent Process OverviewEverything you need to know from the USPTO about the patent process, from start to finish.
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- Pre-Defined Google Patent SearchThis is a Google Patent Search that has already been narrowed to just patents that have been granted in the US and have no known litigation associated with them. It's sorted by recency. Add your own keywords to the search to find patents of interest to you!
Other Patent Search Tools:
- US Patent Public SearchUSPTO's public patent search tool.
- Espacenet Patent SearchPatent database of the European Patent Organization: search United States, European, and many other patents all at the same time.
Technical Standards
What is a standard?
A standard is a set of guidelines for the composition and manufacture of items, or for conducting a process or procedure. Adherence to some standards is required by law, others are voluntary. Standards:
- Establish safety criteria
- Ensure that items work properly and safely
- Specify properties of materials, devices, or structures
- Describe test methods and procedures for assessing product performance.
- Allow for interchangeability of parts and correct fit of parts from different manufacturers
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- IEEE Xplore This link opens in a new windowOur library has access to IEEE standards via the IEEE Xplore database. Use the Browse menu in the database to explore standards by topic (e.g. Aerospace Electronics, Nuclear Engineering, Robotics, etc.) or search by keyword.
Other Resources for Technical Standards:
- Request a StandardAny Michigan Tech student, faculty, or staff member may request that the library purchase a standard. Please fill out this form, and a librarian will contact you as soon as possible to discuss your request.
- ASTM Compass This link opens in a new windowFull text access to ASTM standards, which focus on testing and materials.
- SAE Mobilus This link opens in a new windowAccess the Society for Automotive Engineering's Ground Vehicle Standards and Aerospace Standards Collections.
- Techstreet Enterprise This link opens in a new windowWhen the library purchases access to an individual standard on behalf of a patron or research group, it's typically housed in this platform. Search to see which standards we currently have available.