Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Student Orientation

This page has been designed for graduate students in Electrical and Computer Engineering, with the intent of providing quick access to information about library services and resources. While much of the information on this page may be found on the UM Libraries' home page, it is consolidated here to provide One-Stop-Shopping to the information most pertinent to you. Your comments and suggestions for additions to this page are welcome. Send them to rkackley@umd.edu. See the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering for more student resources.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• General Information
• Policies & Procedures
• Research Assistance
• Reference Works
• Locating Books
• Locating Articles
• Using IEEE Xplore
• Web Resources
• Departmental Pages
• Other Services

GENERAL INFORMATION

The Engineering & Physical Sciences Library (EPSL) is just one of eight campus libraries at the University of Maryland. Its collection consists of research materials covering engineering, physical science, mathematics, and computer science. In addition, EPSL is also a patent & trademark depository library.

Location

EPSL is located on the first floor of the Glenn L. Martin Institute of Technology (Mathematics Building), Rm. 1403. See map of campus of libraries.

Hours

Regular library hours (during Fall and Spring semesters) are as follows:

Monday - Thursday: 8 am - Midnight
Friday: 8 am - 8 pm
Saturday: 10 am - 8 pm
Sunday: Noon - Midnight

Exceptions to these hours (which are made during holidays, Final Exam periods, and Summer Semesters) are listed with all other Library Hours.

Floor Plan

Library collections are organized as follows:

• Basement: Technical Reports Center
• 1st Floor: Reference Collection, Current Periodicals, Microform Journals, and Patent Collection
• 2nd Floor: Book Stacks
• 3rd Floor: Periodical Stacks

Click here for an overview of the EPSL floor plan and a tutorial on reading call numbers.

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POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

• Borrowing from UM Libraries
• Using the UM Catalog
• Using "My Account"
• Printing/Photocopying
• Remote Access to Library Resources
• Off-Site Shelving Request
• Interlibrary Loan
• Course Reserves
• Downloading References

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RESEARCH ASSISTANCE

EPSL staff are here to help. Do not hesitate to ask for assistance. There are a number of options for obtaining research assistance.

• Walk-in Reference
  Ask for help at the Information Desk. Reference assistance hours are as follows:
  Monday - Thursday: 9 am - 7 pm
  Friday: 9 am - 4 pm
  Saturday: Noon - 4 pm
  Sunday: 1 pm - 6 pm
  

• In-Depth Consultation
  If you feel you require more extensive bibliographic or research assistance, make an appointment with a librarian subject specialist for an in-depth consultation. The subject specialist for Electrical & Computer Engineering is Bob Kackley, 301-405-9155.

• Telephone
  If you have brief factual questions or questions about holdings, policies, or procedures you can reach the EPSL Information Desk by calling: 301-405-9157

• Chat
  Similar questions can also be posed on Maryland's state-wide 24/7 Virtual Reference ServiceAskUsNow!.

• E-mail
  For longer, more substantial research questions that may require considerable time to answer, use an e-mail form to Ask a Librarian.

• Library Guides
  Many questions can be answered by referencing our online guides to information resources. Here you will find helpful tips on using library resources, conducting academic research, and finding information on particular subjects.

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REFERENCE WORKS

The following resources may be helpful for looking up standards, tables, and formulae for electrical engineering principles and applications.

In Print

• McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Electrical and Computer Engineering (2004)
  EPSL Reference : TK7885.A2M37 2004
  Dictionary of important and commonly used terms uses in electrical and computer engineering.
• The Illustrated Dictionary of Electronics (2001)
  EPSL Reference : TK7804.G497 2001
  Illustrated dictionary of terms, abbreviations, and acronyms used in the field of electronics.
• Standard Handbook of Electronic Engineering (2005)
  EPSL Reference : TK7825.E34 2005
  Covers not only fundamental principles and technlogies, but also the latest in hardware, circuits and functions, and applications.
• The Electrical Engineering Handbook (2005)
  EPSL Reference : TK145.E355 2005
  A comprehensive reference covering the broad spectrum of electrical engineeing including topics such as circuits and networks, electromagnetics, signal processing, and digital communications.
• The Computer Engineering Handbook (2002)
  EPSL Reference : TK7885.C645 2002
  Definitive resource for computer design and engineering. Forms a comprehensive state of the art review of the field's most recent achievements, outstanding issues, and future directions.
• The Indispensable PC Hardware Book
  EPSL Reference : TK7887.5.M4613 2002
  Detailed reference for understanding PC components including CPUs, chipsets, Plug&Play devices, and memory systems.
• Illustrated guide to the National Electrical Code (2005)
  EPSL Reference : TK260.M52 2005
  Offers a concise, easy-to-understand exploration of the 2005 National Electrical Code.

• eFunda (Engineering Fundamentals)
  eFunda provides an array of resources useful for engineers such as unit conversion, equations, online calculators, and material data.
• BOWest Electrical Engineering Library
  A quick reference to electrical engineering theorems and formulae including electrical circuit theorems, electrical circuit formulae, electrical system formulae, and electrical machine applications.
• Martindale's Calculators On-Line Center
  Offers a range of electrical and computer engineering calculators by subject.
• Dictionary of Units
  Provides an account of the principal units of measurement and the conversion factors needed to change them into 'standard' units of the SI system
• Webopedia: Online Computer Dictionary
  Free, online dictionary for computer and Internet technology definitions.
• Circuits Archive (University of Washington)
  Provides diagrams of radio, computer and other miscellaneous circuits.
• ThomasNet
  A useful resource for industrial information including product specs, company information, CAD drawings and more.
• Global Electronic Components Datasheet Locator
  A free electronic engineering tool that enables you to locate product datasheets from hundreds of electronic component manufacturers worldwide.
• How Stuff Works
  Although increasingly commercialized, How Stuff Works remains a useful free online encyclopedia offering simple explanations for the inner workings of complex scientific and technological phenomena. Of specific interest are the sections on "Computer Stuff" and "Electronics Stuff."
• Science & Engineering Encyclopedia
  Science and engineering descriptions, equations, conversions, calculators and material data. Organized by A to Z, subject and interlinked.
• Access Science
  Searchable, electronic version of the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology which includes a science dictionary, news articles, research updates, biographies, and more.
• Encyclopaedia Britannica Online
  Contains the full-text of the 32-volume Encyclopaedia Britannica, Webster's Third New International Dictionary Unabridged, and the Britannica Book of the Year.

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LOCATING BOOKS

To locate books at the library you'll need use the UM Catalog. Often, the best way to find books on a particular topic is to browse by subject. To browse catalog subject headings select "Subject beginning with..." as your search type and enter your search term(s). Thus, for example, a subject search for "signal processing" would return something like the following:

Click on the subject heading to view the list of books classified by that heading.
Click here for further instructions on searching the UM Catalog.

Another way of locating books on a particular topic may to be browse the collections directly. Books on similar topics are likely to be grouped together on the shelves. Browsing the shelves requires some familiarity with the Library of Congress Classification system. Books on electrical engineering are classified under call numbers beginning with TK:

Click here for an overview of the EPSL floor plan and a tutorial on reading call numbers.

Locating Books at Other Libraries

Occasionally, you may find it necessary to search for resources beyond those held by EPSL. The best tool for locating books and journals beyond holdings of the University of Maryland and its consortium libraries is WorldCat. WorldCat contains records for materials found in research libraries worldwide. However, in order to obtain materials found outside the university system you will need to request an interlibrary loan.

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LOCATING ARTICLES

To locate journals in your field of interest you can conduct a Journal Search in the UM catalog or browse the E-Journal collections in Research Port. To find precise articles on a topic, however, you will want to search some of the following electronic databases accessible through Research Port.

Core Electrical Engineeing Databases

The following databases are the primary electronic resources available for locating journal articles in electrical and computer engineering.

• ACM Digital Library
  Full-text repository of papers from publications that have been published by ACM (Association for Computing Machinery) and other publishers. Publications include journals, magazines, transactions, special interest group (SIG) newsletters, proceedings, and publications by affiliated organizations.

• Compendex
  A comprehensive interdisciplinary engineering database with engineering journals, conference materials, Physics Abstracts, Electrical & Electronics Abstracts and Computer & Control Abstracts.

• IEEE Xplore
  Provides full-text access to IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) transactions, journals, magazines and conference proceedings published since 1988 and all current IEEE Standards. See more information about IEEE Xplore here.

• INSPEC
  Indexes and abstracts 4,000 scientific/technical journals and conference proceedings published since 1969 in physics, electrical engineering, computing, and information technology.

• INSPEC Archive
  Inspec backfile providing coverage from 1898 to 1968.

• Safari Tech Books Online
  Electronic reference library for Information Technology and Computer Science. Includes hundreds of books designed to address the needs for reference content in the areas of information technology, desktop applications and business.

• Solid State Abstracts
  Abstracts of current research (since 1981) on theory, production, and practical applications of solid state materials and devices, including high- and low-temperature superconductivity technology.

While not explicitly devoted to electrical and computer engineering, the following are a list of general, multidisciplinary databases that may be helpful for your research:

• Academic Search Premier
  Provides abstracts and indexing for over 7,000 journals. Full text of articles for over 4,000 scholarly publications, including more than 3,100 peer-reviewed publications.

• Applied Science and Technology Abstracts
  ASTA contains bibliographic coverage of more than 560 core English-language scientific and technical publications. Special issues such as buyers' guides, directories, and conference proceedings are included.

• Conference Papers
  Provides citations to papers and poster sessions presented at major scientific meetings around the world. Coverage includes life sciences, environmental sciences and the aquatic sciences, while older (1982-1995) material also covers physics, engineering and materials science.

• Digital Dissertations
  The authoritative source for information about doctoral dissertations and master's theses. The database represents the work of authors from over 1,000 graduate schools and universities.

• Energy Citations Database
  Contains bibliographic records for energy and energy-related scientific and technical information from the Department of Energy (DOE). Coverage is from 1948 to present and spans a variety of disciplines including chemistry, physics, materials, environmental science, geology, engineering, mathematics, climatology, oceanography, and computer science. It includes citations to technical reports, conference papers, journal articles, books, dissertations, and patents.

• Ingenta
  Search or browse more than 20,000 publications from the Ingenta database. Some full text is available. Coverage spans the humanities, sciences, and social sciences.

• NTIS
  Covers U.S. government-sponsored research and reports from federal agencies.

• ProceedingsFirst
  OCLC index of worldwide conference proceedings. Over 74,000 records. Each record contains a list of the papers presented at each conference.

• Science Citation Index
  A multidisciplinary index covering the journal literature of the sciences. It indexes more than 5,700 major journals across 164 scientific disciplines.Virtually the only index for finding what papers have cited other papers.

• Science Direct
  Provides abstracts and indexing for more than 1800 journals. Extensive coverage of the physical and biological sciences, significant numbers of journals in the social sciences, and some journals in the humanities.

• USPTO Database
  Bibliographic and full-text content of U.S. patents from U.S. Patent and Trademark Office web database.

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Using IEEE Xplore

IEEE Xplore is one of the most important library resources available for conducting research in mathematics. Familiarizing yourself with the database can significantly enhance your ability to locate the most relevant information for your research topic and greatly minimize the time and effort necessary to do so.

There are a number of ways you can search IEEE Xplore, such as by subject terms, by publication type, or by document title. In cases where you are looking for work by a particular author, IEEE Xplore's Author index can be a useful search tool. To use the index, click on "Author Search." The index will allow you to browse author names alphabetically or search for a particular last name. Once you locate the author, click on the name to view all works available by that author. Keep in mind that the author search is left-anchored (it reads your query from left to right). Thus, when you are unsure of the spelling of a name, simply type in the first few letters to jump to the appropriate point in the index from which to begin browsing. For example, a search for the author name "Zworykin" could be done by inputting just the first few letters:

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WEB RESOURCES

The following are some ECE-related resources available for free on the web:

Online Journals

• Directory of Open Access Journals: Electrical and Nuclear Engineering
• Directory of Open Access Journals: Computer Science
• EEVL's Ejournal Search Engines

• Science.gov
• WWW Virtual Library: Electrical and Electronics Engineering
• WWW Virtual Library: Software Engineering
• Electrical and Computer Engineering Web Resources (University of Auckland, New Zealand)
• EEVL Guide to Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering
• EE Compendium
• WebEE
• EE Product Center

• EEVL Xtra: Search Engine for Engineering, Mathematics, and Computing
• GlobalSpec: The Engineering Search Engine
• CiteSeer (Computer and Information Science Index)
• Scirus (Search Engine for Scientific Information)
• Google Scholar

• American Engineering Association (AEA)
• Association for Computing Machinery(ACM)
• Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)
• Electrochemical Society (ECS)
• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
• Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE)
• International Society for Optical Engineering (SPIE)
• Semiconductor Equipment and Materials Institute (SEMI)

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DEPARTMENTAL PAGES

The following links provide information for staying abreast with events in your department.

• Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Home Page
• Graduate Courses in Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Departmental Research
• Career Resources

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OTHER SERVICES

The following is a list of some other services provided by UM Libraries.

• Binding Theses & Dissertations
• Photocopy Services
• Information for People with Disabilities

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