Physics Subject Guide

Getting Started

When you begin research in a new topic area it is useful to identify phrases, define words and find brief facts. The resources in this section list some reference sources for the field of Physics.  To find additional materials search the AUS library catalog (http://alberta.aus.edu/search).

Reference Resources

Schaum's Outline of Modern Physics [e-book]
(http://alberta.aus.edu/search)

CRC handbook of chemistry and physics
Reference Collection - 1st Floor – QD65 .C72 2006   

AIP physics desk reference.
Reference Collection - 1st Floor – QC61 .A37 2003   

The Cambridge handbook of physics formulas
Reference Collection - 1st Floor – QC61 .W67 2000   

Finding Books and Other Materials

The AUS Library uses the Library of Congress Classification system. To find books search in the AUS library catalog (http://alberta.aus.edu/search). To browse the shelves for books in Physics, try the following call numbers:

Finding Journal Articles

In the field of Biology the AUS library subscribes to hundreds of journals, most of which are found online.  To access databases with Physics information go to:

http://library.aus.edu/Databases/Databases-subject.htm#Science

You may also use Journal Finder on the library website (http://lt4tz7xl8k.search.serialssolutions.com/).  From the drop down menu under “Browse electronic and print journals by subject” select Physical Sciences & Mathematics.

Top Database Choices

IOP - Institute of Physics – IOP ejournals offers a wide range of full text journal articles in the field of Physics, also included in the subscription is the Historic Archive of articles dating back to 1874.

Science Direct -- The world's largest scientific, technical and medical (STM) database supplemented by relevant bibliographic databases to expand literature searches further and a growing program of online reference works. Over three million articles and over 59 million abstracts from all fields of science.

Science Citation Index Expanded -- The Science Citation Index Expanded is a multidisciplinary index to the journal literature of the sciences. It fully indexes 5,900 major journals across 150 scientific disciplines—that's 2,100 more journals than the print and CD-ROM versions of the SCI. The Science Citation Index Expanded includes all cited references captured from indexed articles.

AccessScience – This online encyclopedia gives access to all the articles, fully illustrated, from the latest edition of the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology, Research Updates from the McGraw-Hill Yearbooks, thousands of illustrations, and the latest Science News® headlines, biographies, and more.

Proquest Science Journals -- Search full text and images for the leading periodicals in science and technology. Subject coverage includes computers, engineering, physics, telecommunications, and transportation.

Other Databases

Academic Research Library (Proquest) – Search the full collection of journals and magazines for information on a broad range of general reference subjects including arts, business, humanities, social sciences, and the sciences.

Academic Search Premier (EbscoHost) – This multi-disciplinary database offers full text for more than 1,850 scholarly journals, including nearly 1,300 peer-reviewed titles. Covering virtually every area of academic study, Academic Search Elite offers full text information dating as far back as 1985.

Journal Citation Reports – The Journal Citation Reports is an essential, comprehensive, and unique resource for journal evaluation, using citation data drawn from over 8,400 scholarly and technical journals worldwide. Coverage is both multidisciplinary and international, and incorporates journals from over 3,000 publishers in 60 nations.

Websites

PhysLink   http://www.physlink.com – A comprehensive physics and astronomy online education, research and reference web site.

SCIRUS  http://www.scirus.com – A comprehensive science-specific search engine.

Getting help with your research

The reference librarians at AUS are happy to help you with your research.  For specific search strategy assistance in Physics please contact:

Thomas Hodge
Liaison Librarian for Physics
06-515-2260
thodge@aus.edu