To search for information, there are two important things to do before you start:
1) determine what academic disciplines are likely to cover the information you need
2) determine possible keywords you can use for your search
Here's an example:
Topic - patient ventilator tubing materials
Academic Disciplines - Engineering, Medicine
Possible Keywords - ventilators, tubing, materials, connectors
Choose tools that cover the academic areas you have identified, to search for journal articles. (Tip: Ask a librarian if you are not sure which databases to use!)
Citing the sources we use to provide information for our research is a vital and expected practice of all researchers, including all engineers.
There are many different types of citation formats, such MLA, APA, and CSE.
Some of the databases provide ways to get a pre-formatted citation, but some do not. If you cannot find a pre-formatted citation, here are some guides to help you put the information into the correct format:
Whichever citation style you use, the important thing is to be consistent throughout your work.