Structure of Materials - MIME 261

Useful library resources

Reference sources

Finding books

Suggested subjects to search in the library catalogue:

• Aeronautics - Materials
• Biocompatible materials
• Biodegradable plastics
• Biomedical materials
• Biopolymers
• Composite materials
• Dental materials
• Metallic composites
• Plastics - Recycling
• Polymeric composites
• Polymers
• Polymers in medicine
• Polymers - Recycling
• Tissue engineering

You can replicate these results by going to the Advanced Search and typing words into the Keyword in Subject field.

To refine any of these searches, click on Limit Results and type additional words in Keyword in all fields.

Finding journal articles

Useful databases for finding journal articles:

• Materials Research Database – for materials science, can be searched simultaneously with "Aerospace Database"
• Scopus – multidisciplinary
• Web of Science – multidisciplinary
• Compendex – for all aspects of engineering
• Applied Science and Technology Full Text – intended for undergraduate students
• Aerospace Database – for aerospace, can be searched simultaneously with "Materials Research Database with METADEX"

How to find articles using keyword searching in databases:

Sample search: bioactive AND bone AND cements in Materials Research Database with METADEX

Ways to decrease results

• Combine additional terms with AND to generate fewer results
  e.g. bioactive AND bone AND cements AND glass
• Search for words together as a phrase
  e.g. "bioactive bone cements"
• Search for words only in a particular field
  e.g. "bioactive bone cements" only in title

Ways to increase results

• Search using fewer terms
  e.g. bioactive AND bone
• Use truncation to allow the terms to end in various ways
  e.g. bioactiv* AND bone* AND cement*
• Use synonyms or similar concepts, combining them with OR to generate more results
  e.g. (bioactive OR biocompatible) AND bone AND cements

Ways to get new ideas for search terms

• Use descriptors in the database (also called subjects, controlled vocabulary or controlled terms)
  e.g. biomedical materials
• Use terms from the database's thesaurus
  e.g. bone cements → surgical implants

If the Library does not have the journal article you are looking for:

• Undergraduate students may request articles (or books) for free through interlibrary loan.