ECE 2799: Electrical and Computer Engineering Design

S. Bitar

Key Subscription Sources

IEEE Explore

Engineering Village

ScienceDirect

ENGnetBASE and Knovel - Technical handbooks

Strategy: Word choice is essential for search success! See Finding Articles tutorial

Off campus?

Off campus access to resources with

Background Information

Wikipedia: Solar energy
How Stuff Works: Solar Cells
News sources: Google News, LEXIS-NEXIS Academic
Browse government sites: Search with site:gov
Search/browse journals list: search solar or reneable energy to browse journals we subscribe to such as Journal of solar energy engineering.

Examples: BigBelly Compactors | BigBelly Video | Solar Backpacks

Books: Print & Electronic

Search the Library Catalog for items @ WPI or WorldCat to search beyond our library.

Technical Handbooks

Search a Technical Handbook database: ENGnetBASE | Knovel to search full text of electronic handbooks.

Patents

Search the USPTO patent database (www.uspto.gov/patft) for a patents similar to your project idea. Review the drawings by clicking the IMAGES link top center. If you are not seeing the images, try to search Google Patents or enter patent number in pat2pdf.org to get a PDF version.

Worldwide Patents

Search ESP@CENET for worldwide patents, use Advanced Search to screen by date, assignee (organization/company), and title/abstract keywords. The library also maintains a listing of other patents search engines which may be useful. More patent search tools...

Research Tools to Explore

Understanding the Technology	Strategies and Information Sources
The "science" of how products work - general & background information	Search Library Catalog for general encyclopedias and handbooks to gather background information. Search the following subscriptions: McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology Wiley Encyclopedia of Electrical and Electronics Engineering ENGnetBASE or Knovel - Technical handbooks Search Library Catalog for books using subject heading electric engineering handbooks, manuals, and other books on practical electronics.
Who are the key players?	Identify companies who make similar products: Web Searching Company research databases: such as Hoovers Free manufacturing directories such as Kelly Search or ThomasNet Patents - start with USPTO, Google Patents, or Freepatents Online Experts use classifications to find other similar inventions and other inventors/companies: USPTO Classification 320 ELECTRICITY: BATTERY OR CAPACITOR CHARGING OR DISCHARGING. subclass 101 is for WIND, SOLAR, THERMAL, OR FUEL-CELL SOURCE. Click on the little blue P to get to other patents in this area. Search for articles in trade/industry publications using library databases such as EBSCOhost Business Source Premier or LEXIS-NEXIS for company or product news/announcements. Suppliers or wholesalers may have product directories, or online catalogs: Portable Power Buyer's Guide links to directories or suppliers. Links may be sponsored. Specialty shops: You Do It Electronics (store in Needham, MA)
Science and Manufacturing: How are the products made?	Search Patents Globalspec free web search for existing product information or look at company web sites Check out How Products are Made: Solar Cell section (books in library reference area, web site has a few but not the full text) How Stuff Works Scan through corporate web sites for product literature & technical specifications Scan through articles in engineering databases: Compendex Web & Inspec: The Web version of Engineering Index. IEEE Xplore: Contains the full text of all IEEE and IEE journal articles, IEEE conference papers, and IEEE standards. Coverage: 1988 - Present. Search "engineering handbooks" in ENGnetBASE or Knovel More Databases & Electronic Resources \| Energy \| Manufacturing & Industrial Engineering Find Technical Reports Parts Catalogs: Digikey Corporation Mouser Electronics More
Understanding the Market
Who needs these products? Market size?	Ask as many questions as possible, then try to find sources to answer these questions. Such as, who needs your product? If hospitals, how many hospitals are there? How many doctors? How many women or children are in this market? What percentage would need the product, etc. Search Industry databases such as EBSCOhost Business Source Premier for articles on your product and market. Search for statistical information within sources such as LexisNexis Statistical or the free Statistical Abstract of the United States
Do key players already distribute to the geographic markets being targeted? How are they doing?	Search for companies, look through product literature, scan through 10-K report or Annual Report to Shareholders. Hoovers or the SEC EDGAR site. Also, if publicly traded, the executives will have conference calls or interviews which sometimes mention the sales of specific of product lines. Use Hoovers to find executives names and search for them.
Customer preferences and product requirements	Beyond your own primary or first hand research... Search for articles which may show consumer preferences or innovation trends and adoption. Many surveys, polls, consumer behavior studies are published. Determine issues, concerns, or trends by scanning headlines or article titles from trade publications: Consumer Reports for general population Popular Mechanics or Popular Science for people interested in technical/science issues, or trade publications which publish product comparisons or announcements academic approach (written by professors/scholars) to topic, see Journal of Consumer Research Search for articles on product reviews, try EBSCOhost Business Source Premier Search for business news: Wall Street Journal - archive via ProQuest
Determine Impact or Scope of Problem	Health, United States - annual report on trends in health statistics LexisNexis Statistical - data on broad range of topics, such as industry sales, accidents by type, roadways in the United States, etc.
Understanding Regulations and Standards
Is this type of product regulated? By Whom? Do standards apply? Which ones?	Seek out government regulatory bodies and international trade associations such as: American Society of Safety Engineers Regulations.gov See our Finding Standards Guide, but start with common standards sources such as: UL Standards - $$$ we might not have them, but useful to be aware of (UL 1703 for Safety Flat-Plate Photovoltaic Modules and Panels) Annual Book of ASTM Standards. 72 Vols. Reference Collection TA401 A653 IEEE/IEE Standards (via IEEE Xplore) ISO International Standards NSSN Search For American National Standards It gets complicated! What is the difference among UL 1703, IEEE 1262, IEC 61215, IEC 61646 and PMC?
Legal Issues
Are there Federal, State or Local laws that could affect your design idea?	Search Legal News or Code to assure you are within legal limits: LexisNexis Academic - choose legal Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries: laws by source \| laws by topic \| ask a law librarian

Only Finding a Citation? Getting the Full Text

Is the journal online or here in the library? Search our Journals, Magazines, & Newspapers
Visit another library: Search WorldCat to find one
Request delivery from another library: Interlibrary Loan.

Give Credit! Cite Your Sources

Try Refworks: a bibliographic database & citation management tool. Create a database of your references then output them into many formats, including IEEE style. More...

Questions?

Stop by the reference desk or set up a research consultation.

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Last modified: Mar 13, 2008, 12:44 EDT