Physics Research Guide
Choosing a database for your research
The primary databases for physics research are found on the Libraries' physics subject page. Databases index journal articles, trade articles, conference proceedings, book chapters, patents, technical reports, theses, etc. Learning to find information in databases is an essential research skill.
So how do you pick which one to use? Selecting the right database is a very important first step in conducting research. Bear in mind some basic tenets of databases:
- Use the right
tool database for the right job search.
- No database has all the information in your field. All of them have different coverage and features. Thorough research will involve multiple databases.
- We definitely wish the database you need had [name of feature that you want]. Maybe it will someday, or it does now and librarians can help you find it. Feel free to ask.
A summary of the primary physics databases is below. Any of them might be a good place to start with your searching.
The core published physics literature is indexed in INSPEC, but INSPEC does not track physics articles that appear in primarily non-physics journals. Many other databases do track articles of interest to the physics community. If you are working in an interdisciplinary area (i.e. surface science, materials science, nanoscience) and need a literature database in another field, use the Database Finder or contact Josh Wilson for assistance. In addition to INSPEC, most current physics literature is accessible through the ArXiv preprints database and Stanford's Spires-HEP database.
Some databases contain full-text articles, while others just contain abstracts. However, you may be able to connect to an
online version of the article if the Libraries subscribes
to that journal electronically. Look for the symbol 
in the abstract and click on it to see if we subscribe to that
particular journal and if we have it in print, online, or both.
(More information on this tool here.) In the preprint databases, the fulltext article is already there.
For Spires-HEP, newer articles are linked, but older articles
may not be available online. In that case, check the catalog
to see if NCSU holds the journal in question.
Other Physics Databases
Other physics databases are listed on the physics subject page. Read the descriptions to understand the coverage. If you have questions or suggestions for additions to the physics subject page, please contact the librarian.
Librarian Contact Information
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