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Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering

Library and Internet resources for aerospace, automotive and mechanical engineering topics.

Articles (Journal)

Indexing and Abstracting databases allow you to cover thousands of journal articles with just one search.  Some of these databases will also cover newspaper articles, conference papers, book chapters and/or technical reports.   So don't waste time guessing what journals will have articles on your topic or searching just one journal at a time. 

For general multidisciplinary searches use:

For more STEM focused searches use:

Books

To Find Books in the ASU Library:

  • Use the ASU Library's One Search

    As the name implies, "Library One Search" locates items from across the ASU Library's collections and includes not just books but also articles from scholarly journals, trade magazines and newspapers, chapters from reference books, dissertations/theses, maps, data sets, photographs,  government documents and much more.   New material is being added almost every day. 

    Search titles, keywords or authors in the single search box; an advanced search feature is also available.  When the results list is displayed, use the Content Type option in left column to limit the results to books/e-books.  
     
    • If the book is available in print, clicking on the title will take you to the ASU Library Catalog where you'll in which library the book is located, it's call number and whether it is checked out.   Use the Request on the catalog record to recall a book that is checked out or to have a book shipped to the ASU Library of your choice. 
       
    • If the book is available online, clicking on the title or on the "Full Text" link will take you directly to the book. 

To Find Books In Other Libraries:   
 

 

If the ASU Library doesn't have the book that you need, request the book via our Interlibrary Loan Service.

 

Electronic Books (E-Books):

Many e-books can be found through the ASU Library Catalog.

To limit your search to e-books:

  • After entering your keywords and viewing the results screen
  • Select Full Text Online from the availability subheading on the right hand side and then select Books from the Resource Type heading.

Results will include a link to access the book.

*Many of our electronic books are listed in the catalog however, we also have several e-book collection in which you can use the native search engine for these collections:

ASCE Digital Library 

Full text of the American Society of Civil Engineers' publications including journal articles, conference papers, standards and books.

ebrary

Books from major publishers in all subject areas.

e-books on EBSCOhost

​Books from major publishers in all subject areas.

Gale Virtual Reference Library

A  collection of encyclopedias, almanacs, and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research.​

Knovel
Over 2,000 science and engineering handbooks in which you can find facts, formula and property data.

MyiLibrary

Books from major publishers, organizations and government agencies in all subject areas.

SpringerLink

Full-text of selected journals, books, book series, and reference works and the Online Archives Collection from science publisher Springer.

Synthesis Digital Library
Innovative online information service for the research, development and educational communities in engineering and computer science.

Dictionaries, Encyclopedias & Handbooks

Finding out about a topic, i.e., the "background" information, before doing literature research will help you increase your vocabulary so that you can search the best, most efficient words and also allow you to recognize appropriate books and journal articles even if the authors do not describe the topic the same way you do. The more you know about a topic, the better you'll be able to focus on a specific aspect that would be appropriate for your paper. Background information may be found in the following types of resources which generally provide a summary:
 

General Dictionaries:

Mathematics Dictionaries:

Sci/Tech Dictionaries:

Encyclopedias:

Business Dictionaries:

Subject Encyclopedias:

Engineering-related Encyclopedias in the ASU Library include:

Handbooks

Handbooks provide a summary of a specific subject and frequently include data compilations and formulas. Handbooks are also a great place to look for  "quick facts" about a topic.

Knovel
A full text, online collection of over 800 handbooks, data collections, and encyclopedias for science and engineering. This collection includes:

Other Online Handbooks

Handbooks in the Libraries

To find handbooks available in the libraries, use the ASU Library's Catalog and do a keyword search for the topic and handbooks; examples:

Material Properties (How to Find)

Searching by keyword requires a fair amount of knowledge about both the property and the material.   You could miss finding the data because the authors of the articles and books you're searching used different terminology OR you may accidently miss the answer that could be right in front of you, on the screen, or on the page because it's listed by a property symbol rather than the word.   So before you begin your search, make sure you know the following. 

  1. For the Property: 
    1. Definition
      What is being measured and what is it used for?  If you know this you'll be able to judge an article/book/database more quickly as a likely source (or not) of the information you need.  Example: Bulk Modulus deals with compressibility, a mechanical property, so if you are looking for the Bulk Modulus of a metal, then a book entitled "Mechanical Properties of Metals" would be a possibility but a book entitled "Corrosion in Metals" (corrosion is a chemical reaction) would not.  
       
    2. Synonyms
      Are there other words that are used for this property?  Because it's impossible to know ahead of time what terminology an article/book/database will use, you should search by all the different ways used to describe the property.  Examples:  Young's Modulus = Modulus of Elasticity, Heat of Formation = Enthalpy of Formation or sometimes just Enthalpy; Molar Extinction Coefficient = Molar Absorptivity.
       
    3. Symbol
      What is the symbol for your property?  To save space in data tables sometimes the symbol is used as the header of a column rather than the property name.  If you don't recognize the symbol, you may miss the answer that is staring you in the face!
       
    4. Unit of measurement
      Know the unit of measurement for the same reason you need to know the symbol.  
       
    5. Formula
      What if you can't find the data for that specific property?  If you know the formula for how that property can be calculated you may be able to find the data to fill in the formula and get the property you need. 
       
    6. Inverse properties 
      Does your property have an inverse or reciprocal property?  If yes, search for both properties.  This situation is the same as described above under "Formula".  If you can't find one you may be able to find the other and then convert.  For example, electrical conductivity is the inverse of electrical resistivity.   
       
    7. Field of study/subject area
      Most books and databases are compilations of  related property data, so a book's/database's title will use a term related to that property "group" rather than the name of a specific property.  So if you're looking for heats of formation, you'll probably find more books/databases if you search for them by "Thermodynamics" or "Thermophysics" than you will about "Heat of Formations"  
      ​
  2. For the substance:
    1. Synonyms 
      As with properties, most substances may be called by many different names. You need to search all of the names by which the substance may be known.
       
    2. Chemical formula (if appropriate)
      In many books and database, a chemical substance may be listed by it's molecular formula (MF) rather than by it's name.  For searching purposes, you should add the MF to your list of synonyms for the substance.  

      As with the property symbol, publishers may use the MF as a space saver in a table rather than spelling out the substance name.  So, even if you searched by the substance's name, you may end up with a table that lists the substances by MF instead of name. 

      Also, when viewing a data that is arranged by MF, note how the MFs are listed.  The MFs wil seldom be arranged in the familiar order; for example,  salt (NaCl) is likely to be listed with the components in strict alphabetical order,  ClNa.   Another common way to list MFs is by "Hill Order";  inorganic substances are listed in strict alphabetical order by their components, however, organics are listed by carbon (C), hydrogen (H), followed by the remaining components in alphabetical order.  
       
    3. Material Type 
      As with the property's "field of search", it is sometimes necessary to search the substance by it's "group" or "material type".   Books/databases frequently compile data for groups of substances such as plastics, polymers, metals, minerals, semiconductors, etc.   

Start with Knovel
​It's the database with the greatest range of both substances and properties.  Knovel will also help fill in the knowledge gaps if you are unfamiliar with your substance or property.  

Recommended Search Techniques: 

  • Text Searching 
    If you need to fill in knowledge gaps about the substance or the property, use the basic text search for either the substance or the property (but not both).  Enter the most commonly used name.  On the results list, use the left-hand column to limit the results to "Text Sections".  After the results page has refreshed look for items that are encyclopedias or books that seem to be an introduction to the topic.  Although dictionaries could be helpful, they usually do not provide enough information.  

    Unfamiliar with Knovel's Text Search?  View this short tutorial (3m 14s)
  • Data Searching
    Although you can do a search for both the substance and property using the basic text search, we recommend the "Data Search" (button is located directly under the search box).  

    Unfamiliar with Knovel's Data Search?  View this short tutorial.  (2m 27s) 
     
  • Use the Equation Solver
    As mentioned under "What to Search", point A5, if you know there is a formula that can be used to calculate the data you need, it may be easier to fill in the formula than it is to find experimentally discovered property data.  Knovel has over 1,000 equations from all areas of engineering and some from math.   From the Knovel home page, on the dark gray tool bar, click on "Tools" and then click on "Interactive Equations."

    You can do this step in the search process at any time; you many want to try a few more resources to see if you can find the exact data you need before resorting to solving it via a formula. 

    Several instructional options are available about Knovel's Interactive Equations: 
    • Interactive Equations (3m 38s)
      A brief video introduction to the type of equations available and the worksheet.
    • Equation Solver (4m 42s)
      A more detailed video on the features within the worksheets 
    • Advanced Help
      This section contains advanced instructional materials including video demonstrations on doing arithmetic and functional calculations, the User Guide, an FAQ section, and a "cheat sheet" for keyboard shortcuts. 

Databases and books are available that compile property data from many different sources.  These databases and books usually cover many related properties for substances within a "group" such as metals, plastics, organic chemicals, etc. so they are convenient ways to cover a lot of ground with just a few searches.  

  • Databases and Internet Resources: 
    • Alloy Phase Diagram Database
      Over 36,500 binary and ternary phase diagrams, associated phase data (crystal, reaction, and transformation) and bibliographic references for more than 6200 systems. Explore (browse) the database from an alphabetical list of elemental components or search by typing in the components.  ASU Library subscription database. 
       
    • ARS Pesticides Properties Database
      "Compendium of chemical,physical and environmental properties of 334 widely used pesticides. Free web database. 
       
    • ASM Handbooks Online
      The online version of the 20+ volume "Metals Handbook" plus supplements, desk editions and archives.  Covers all types of metals and all types of properties; search or browse features available. Volume 23 of the Handbook covers materials for medical devices.  ASU Library subscription database. 
       
    • CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics 
       Contains basic physical properties (boiling point, melting point, density, refractive index and solubility) for approximately 11,000 elements and compounds.   Additional types of property data is also available but coverage is limited in each category to small groups of selected compounds.    ASU Library subscription database. 
       
    • EPA's Chemistry Dashboard
      Covers over 741,000 Chemicals.   Also available as "CompTox Mobile" app for iphone/ipad.   Includes: 
      • Wikipedia entry 
      • Intrinsic Properties
      • Structural Identifiers
      • Record Information
      • Chemical Properties
      • Synonyms
      • Links to external sites with info
      • Product Compositions
      • Bioassays
      • Exposures 
      • ​Analytical Methods
      • Literature
      • Comments
         
    • INCHEM
      "Internationally peer reviewed information on chemicals commonly used throughout the world, which may also occur as contaminants in the environment and food."  Covers publications from 14 international agencies.  Free web database. 
       
    • MatWeb
      ​      Properties of polymers, metals, ceramics, semiconductors and fibers.  Free web database. 
       
    • NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards
      "Presents key data for chemicals or substance groupings (such as cyanides, fluorides, manganese compounds) that are found in workplaces. The guide offers key facts, but does not give all relevant data. The NPG helps users recognize and control workplace chemical hazards."  Free web database. 
       
    • NIST Data Gateway: Free Online Databases 
      The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) provides a variety of property databases, many of which are freely available on the web.  Most of the databases cover physical and chemical properties and math functions although a few are related to biomedicine.   Free web databases.
       
    • NPIC Fact Sheets
      The National Pesticide Information Center provides "active Ingredient Fact Sheets [that] summarize the current knowledge for each pesticide ingredient, and are not intended to be an exhaustive review of available scientific information. These fact sheets include information on the chemicals' physical characteristics, mode of action, regulation, health effects, and environmental fate. Our goal is to present relevant scientific information from credible sources."  Written for the general public.  Free web database. 
       
    • SciFinder
      ​For ASU authorized users only, REQUIRES REGISTRATION.   To access properties of chemical substances, switch search to "Substance Identifier", input the substance name or CAS Registry number; on the results page, click on the CAS Registry number above the structure box for that substance.  Covers experimental and predictive acoustical, biological, chemical, electrical, electronic, flow/diffusion, interface, magnetic, mechanical, optical and thermal properties.   ASU Library subscription database. 
      ​
    • SOLV-DB
      Contains chemical, physical and environmental fate data for solvents.  Health, safety, and regulatory information is also covered.  Free web database. 
      ​
    • ToxNet (Toxicology Data Network) 
      The U.S. National Library of Medicine provides 16 databases covering toxicology, hazardous chemicals, environmental health, and toxic releases.  Free Web Databases.
       
    • Where to find Material Safety Data Sheets on the Internet
      Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS, sometimes called Safety Data Sheets, SDS) cover information needed by employers and workers who use these materials.  Although not intended for use outside of the workplace, these documents do provide some physical and chemical property data plus toxicity, fire-fighting measures, and safe storage and handling procedures.  Free web database. 
       
  • Books 
    • Landolt-Börnstein series (L-B)
      QC61 L36x Science Reference 

      This extensive collection contains property data gathered from literature from the 1960s to 2002.  Coverage includes data related to nuclear and particle physics, molecules and radicals, crystals and solid state physics, macroscopic properties, physical chemistry, geophysics, astrophysics and biophysics.   To identify what property data is available in this set and in which volume, use the Springer Materials database.  Please note that the ASU Library do not have a subscription to Springer Materials, however searching within the database is free and the free portion of each record will tell you where the information is within L-B.    For L-B items within Springer Materials that were added after 2002 and for the Springer Material information added from sources other than L-B, please use our Interlibrary Loan service.    
       
    • ASU Library One Search 

      the ASU Library has many books that contain property data, however, searching for them requires a special strategy.  Most of these books focus on a group of related substances and/or properties and their titles can be generic. Searching for a specific property of a specific substance does not work because the catalog looks at only the book title and in some cases, a table of contents; the catalog does not look at the full text of the book. To find these books, the searcher must think more broadly.  

      If researcher needs to find the heat of formation for a specific substance, they would have more success if they searched for books about thermodynamics or thermophysical properties and the type of substance.   (Example: a keyword search for  THERMODYNAMICS FLUIDS)  In the table below are suggestions for  Substance Group Names, Property Groupings/Subjects, and the types of books that contain data; if you have a better way to describe a group (whether of substances or properties), search that as well.    We recommend a 3-pronged  search strategy: 
      • Substance Group AND Property/Subject Area
      • Substance Group AND Book Type
      • Property/Subject  Area AND Book Type
         
        Substance Groupings Property Groups Or Subject Areas Book Types

        Adhesives
        Agricultural Chemicals
        Alloys
        Anti-corrosives
        Biological Products
        Building Materials
        Chemical Elements
        Chemicals
        Concrete
        Crystals
        Elastomers
        Films
        Gases
        Glass
        Hazardous Substances
        Heat Resistant Materials
        Herbicides 
        Hydrocarbons
        Inorganic Compounds
        Liquids
        Lubricants
        Masonry 
        Materials 
        Metal Crystals
        Metals
        Minerals
        Nanocomposites
        Nanocrystals
        Nanofluids
        Nanogels
        Nanoparticles
        Nanostructured Materials 
        Nanostructures
        Nanotubes
        Nanowires
        Organic Compounds
        Pavements 
        Pesticides
        Plants
        Plastics
        Pollutants
        Polymers
        Porous Materials
        Proteins
        Resins
        Road Materials 
        Rubber
        Salts
        Semiconductors
        Soils
        Solids
        Solvents
        Wood

        Acoustic Properties
        Adsorption
        Attenuation
        Bioavailability
        Biochemistry
        Biodegradation
        Cancer
        Carcinogenicity
        Chemistry
        Corrosion
        Defects
        Electric Properties 
        Electrochemical Constants
        Electrochemistry
        Environmental Aspects
        Equilibrium
        Fatigue
        Fluid Dynamics
        Hardness
        Health Aspects
        Heat Transmission 
        Impact Testing
        Ionization
        Kinetics
        Magnetic Properties
        Mechanical Properties
        Optical Properties
        Physics
        Physiological Effects
        Plastic Properties
        Properties
        Solubility
        Stability
        Strain
        Stress
        Surfaces
        Thermal Properties
        Thermochemistry​ 
        Thermodynamics
        Thermophysical Properties
        Toxicity
        Toxicology
        Transport Properties

        Charts
        Handbooks
        Tables  
 

For the search strategy, search: 

  • specific property name AND the specific substance name 
  • specific property name AND the substance group
  • property group AND the specific substance name
  • property group AND substance group  

 

Bibliographic Databases

The following databases cover the title, abstract (summary), and subject terms for each document but do not allow you to search the full text.  

  • EI Compendex/Inspec​
    Covers journal articles and conference papers in physics and engineering.
  • IEEE Xplore
    ​Covers the publications (journal articles, conference papers and some books) of the IEEE and a few other publishers. Subject coverage is for electrical engineering and its application to other subject areas. 
  • SciFinder
    Covers journal articles and conference papers in all areas of pure and applied chemistry. 
    In Step 3, you searched this database by the substance search; in this case, use the research topic search. This database requires ASU students, staff, and faculty to register (free); if you have not registered previously click on this link. 

 

Full Text Databases

  • Google Books
    Books published prior to 1925 are fully accessible; all other books will either provide only a small snippet of the page where the words were found or will not display any text at all. To see if the book is available in the ASU Library, at the Libraries' home page (http://lib.asu.edu), use the Library One Search database to search for the book's title; refine results set by selecting "Book/eBook" in the left-hand column under "Content Type" 
  • Google Scholar
    Use either the full text link or the "Get It @ ASU" link to connect to the full text (if available from the ASU Library)
  • Library One Search
  • Academic Search Premier
  • Publisher Websites

 

Patents

A patent is a government grant bestowing certain property rights on the inventor; these rights usually permit the inventor to exclude others from making, using, or selling the invention.

For more information about patents and finding/research patents please see the ASU Library's

Patents Research Guide

For more detailed assistance you may consider consulting ASU's

Patent and Trademark Resource Center

Standards & Codes

For more detailed information about standards at the ASU Library, please see the Standards Guide

IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Full text of IEEE standards available in IEEEXplore

ANSI (American National Standards Institute) 

SEMI (semi.org; "global industry association serving the manufacturing supply chain for the micro- and nano-electronics industries")

ISO (International Organization for Standardization) 

 

Search Engines for Standards

IHS Global Engineering

ANSI Search (formerly NSSN)

Tech Street

Codes

US Local Codes (MAD CAD)
Links to online codes for all 50 states plus US Territories; within each state links are provided to websites of county, city, town and jurisdiction agencies and to their respective codes when available online.

Statistical Information

U.S. Census Bureau
Covers the areas of Business, Economy, Education, Emergency Preparedness, Employment, Families and Living Arrangements, Health, Housing, Income and Poverty, International Trade, Population, and the Public Sector. 

Includes:

  • Data
    ​Find popular facts (population, income, etc.) and frequently requested data about your community.
     
  • Annual Integrated Economic Survey (formerly Annual Survey of Manufactures)
    Provides sample estimates of statistics for all manufacturing establishments with one or more paid employee.  Provides statistics on employment, payroll, supplemental labor costs, cost of materials consumed, operating expenses, value of shipments, value added by manufacturing, detailed capital expenditures, fuels and electric energy used, and inventories.
     
  • Quick Facts
    Provides statistics for all states and counties, and for cities and towns with a population of 5,000 or more.
     
  • Manufacturing and Construction Statistics

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is THE source of employment data for the United States.

  • Use the Geographic Guide to determine what statistics are available for regions, states, metropolitan areas, cities and towns. 
  • Data Sources: 
    • Consumer Expenditure Survey
      Information on the buying habits of America's consumers.
       
    • ​Consumer Price Index
      Monthly data on changes in the prices paid by urban consumers for a representative basket of goods and services.
       
    • Current Employment Statistics (CES)
      Each month the CES program surveys approximately 146,000 businesses and government agencies, representing approximately 623,000 individual worksites, in order to provide detailed industry data on employment, hours, and earnings of workers on nonfarm payrolls.
       
    • Employee Benefits Survey
      Comprehensive data on the incidence (the percentage of workers with access to and participation in employer provided benefit plans) and provisions of selected employee benefit plans.
       
    • Employment Cost Trends
      Quarterly indexes measuring change over time in labor costs, Employment Cost Index (ECI), and quarterly data measuring level of average costs per hour worked, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation (ECEC).

    • International Labor Comparisons
      Coverage stopped in the 2011-2013 timeframe. For archived datasets, see The Conference Board
       
    • Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey
      Monthly survey of households conducted by the Bureau of Census for the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It provides a comprehensive body of data on the labor force, employment, unemployment, persons not in the labor force, hours of work, earnings, and other demographic and labor force characteristics.
       
    • Productivity
      The Office of Productivity and Technology (OPT) measures how efficiently the U.S. converts inputs into the outputs of goods and services.  This page is a redirect from:
      • Labor Productivity and Costs
        Measure of economic performance that compares the amount of goods and services produced (output) with the number of hours worked to produce those goods and services. 
      • Multifactor Productivity
        Multifactor productivity (MFP), also known as total factor productivity (TFP), is a measure of economic performance that compares the amount of goods and services produced (output) to the amount of combined inputs used to produce those goods and services. Inputs can include labor, capital, energy, materials, and purchased services.

    • National Compensation Survey
      The Employment Cost Index (ECI) component of the National Compensation Survey (NCS) is a Principal Federal Economic Indicator that measures changes in labor costs. Average hourly costs for employee compensation are presented in the Employer Costs for Employee Compensation.  The NCS also provides benefits incidence data on the percentage of workers with access to and participating in employer provided benefit plans. The survey covers a broad range of benefits including holidays and vacations, sick leave, health and life insurance, and retirement plans. Details of employer-provided health and retirement plan provisions are also provided. 
       
    • Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
      Produces employment and wage estimates annually for over 800 occupations. These estimates are available for the nation as a whole, for individual States, and for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas; national occupational estimates for specific industries are also available.
       
    • Producers Price Index
      Measures the average change over time in the selling prices received by domestic producers for their output.
       
    • Quarterly Assessment of Employment and Wages
      Publishes a quarterly count of employment and wages reported by employers covering 98 percent of U.S. jobs, available at the county, MSA, state and national levels by industry.
       
    • Work Stoppages
      Monthly and annual data and analysis of major work stoppages involving 1,000 or more workers lasting one full shift or longer.

•   Arizona Department of Commerce

•   The Conference Board
Continues the international data collection that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics stopped in 2011-2013. Discontinued.

•   Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) 

•   U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)

General

Aerospace

Construction and Infrastructure

Energy

Environment

Transportation

Technical Reports

To identify what technical reports exist on a particular topic, use:

To find the full text of a specific report:

  • Some technical reports are freely available on the Web at the sponsoring agency's website, try:
    • Using Google or another Internet search engine to find the report either by title, author, or report number
    • Go to the sponsoring agency's website and browse/search the site 
      • Enter "site: sitename.com <keywords>" in the Google search box
         
  • TRAIL (Technical Report Archive and Image Library) 
    An ongoing project to digitize technical reports issued prior to 1975.  As of September 2008, mostly NBS (National Bureau of Standards) and some AEC (Atomic Energy Commission) reports were available.  U.S. Bureau of Mines may appear soon. 
     
  • The ASU Library have some technical reports in the collections of Noble Library (Tempe Campus) and in our Government Documents Department (4th floor, Fletcher Library, West Valley Campus) in either print, microfiche, and/or CD. If the document(s) you need is not on the Web, check for availability using our Ask a Librarian's service at http://lib.asu.edu/ask-a-librarian.
     
  • If the document(s) you need is not available in the ASU Library, ASU faculty/students may submit an Interlibrary Loan request