Databases house academic journal articles, conference proceedings, as well as standards, technical reports, and sometimes popular articles from trade magazines. Here is a list of popular engineering databases:
Here is a list of more general science and engineering databases:
While there are print materials available via the USC Libraries, we have a robust ebook collection. Search these collections for engineering ebooks:
Engineering Standards are documents that establish uniform technical specifications for the products, systems, and processes that the standard covers. The purpose is to ensure minimum performance, safety, consistency, and compatibility. International standards are becoming more commonly used and are overseen by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
Search these collections for standards:
Standards Granting Institutions
Technical reports describe the progress or results of scientific or technical research and development. They serve as a report of accountability to the funding organizations, usually the federal government or private industry.
Search these collections for technical reports:
Preprints are papers that precedes the formal peer review process. It is growing increasingly common in the STEM disciplines because it supports making scientific information available and accessible (also known as Open Science).
Search these collections for preprints:
Patents are a form of intellectual property that grants rights to the owner.
Trademarks are another type of intellectual property; it is a recognizable sign, design, or expression that denotes a specific prodcut.
The USC Libraries has a research guide to understand more about patents and trademarks.
Popular titles are intended for general readership on a particular subject and are not peer reviewed or scholarly. Though, they can provide news on emerging trends and topics for further research.