Gleeson Library: ENGR 410: Project & Design Capstone I: ENGR 410

Resources and Strategies for Finding Project Information

Google and Fusion

Use Google and Fusion together to search for information on specific questions across the widest variety of sources.

Google will provide access to publicly available information, and Fusion will provide access to published materials that are not available on the web or are otherwise behind a paywall.

Fusion
Fusion allows you to search, in one place, the majority of the library’s books, articles, videos, etc. It includes all the materials in our library catalog Ignacio, as well as the content of the majority of our many databases.
Questions and Answers:

Does Fusion include everything the library has?
No, but it includes so much of what the library has that it will almost always be a good place to start a search.

When would Fusion not make sense as the first place to search?
Some examples:
- If you’re interested in finding only books, or a specific book title, then our library catalog Ignacio might be a more appropriate place to begin.
- If you’re looking specifically for statistical data, or encyclopedia/dictionary entries, or images, it would be better to use databases devoted to those specific types of information.
- If you're looking for a specific Journal title, you should use our Journal Finder.
- I’m very proficient using the subject-specific databases in my field. Is there any reason I should use Fusion?
- Because Fusion will have such broad coverage, it may locate relevant materials published in other fields that you wouldn’t otherwise find in a subject-specific database.
So then why would I want to choose a subject-specific database anymore—can I just use Fusion instead?
Fusion is not replacing any of our subject-specific databases. These databases offer valuable advanced searching capabilities tailored to their subject areas.

On-Campus Link

Library Resources

Gleeson Library can provide you with access to scholarly and popular articles, books, and videos for background information, as well as detailed analyses and technical information on many of your topics.

Strategy

Check the library's Research Guides to browse for databases relevant to your information need.

Example

Information Need:
How many salons are in San Francisco?

Information Source:
Among the library's business resources is a database that tracks companies and businesses.

Data Axle Reference Solutions
Directory information for publicly and privately owned companies in the United States, as well as information about individual consumers. Formerly called Reference Solutions / ReferenceUSA.
Data Axle Reference Solutions is compiled from over 5,000 Yellow page directories, Business White Pages, Corporate Annual Reports, SEC 10K reports, Chamber of Commerce Directories, state directories, and other public information sources. It is searchable by Yellow Page heading, Industry group, SIC code, city or geographic area, employee size, sales volume, and consumer name.

Data Axle Reference Solutions also allows you to create heat maps of your business list based on many of the criteria listed above.

On Campus Link

Government Information

Government agencies at the local, state, and national levels are excellent sources of information and statistics on the areas that they govern.

Strategy

Use the library's Government Information guides for links to many useful government, intergovernmental, and non-governmental (NGO) sites.

Example

Information Need:
Where are the public toilets in San Francisco?

Information Source:
SF.GOV — the website of the City and County of San Francisco

Citing Sources and Citation Management

Citation Manager

RefWorks
RefWorks allows users to create personal databases to manage, store, and share the information citations/references. Users can automatically insert references from their database into their papers and generate formatted bibliographies and manuscripts in seconds. See our RefWorks Guide for information about creating accounts, adding references, and using add-ons.

Citation Style Guides

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
Call Number: BF76.7 .P83 2019
Available at the Information Desk.

IEEE Reference Guide
The IEEE Reference Guide outlines how to cite a variety of references in IEEE style.

ENGR 410: Project & Design Capstone I

Librarian

Resources and Strategies for Finding Project Information

Google and Fusion

Library Resources

Strategy

Example

Government Information

Strategy

Example

Citing Sources and Citation Management

Citation Manager

Citation Style Guides

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