Subject Guides: PHY 200: Career Preparation in Physics and Engineering Physics I: Start Here

The Search Process

To search for information, there are two important things to do before you start:

determine what academic disciplines are likely to cover the information you need
determine possible keywords you can use for your search

Here's an example:

Topic - induction cooking
Academic Disciplines - Physics, Engineering
Possible Keywords - induction, ferromagnetic, magnetic permeability, alternating current, eddy currents, electromagnetism

Search Tools to Find Research Articles

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!)

arXiv e-Print Archive
arXiv.org is an archive and distribution server for pre-publication research articles in physics, mathematics, computer science, nonlinear sciences, quantitative biology and statistics.
IEEE Xplore
Complete full-text access to the IEEE/IET Electronic Library (IEL) - from journals and magazines published by the IEEE and IET, along with transactions, conference proceedings and active IEEE standards. These publications are relevant to many disciplines, including electrical engineering, computer science, electronics, sensors, energy, aerospace, communications, nanotechnology and information technology.
SciFinder-n
SciFinder-n provides several sources of chemical information, including structure searching, substance searching, reaction searching, reference search, retrosynthesis planning, and citation mapping. SciFinder-n requires registration using your UMaine email.
Scitation
Citations to articles & other materials on physics, materials science, & astronomy. Includes full text of AIP journals & conference proceedings as well as Member Society publications.
Web of Science
Comprehensive tool for prospective citation searching (finding journal articles citing a known source). Includes citations to articles on science, technology, engineering.
Google Scholar (UM)
Coverage undefined, but good to check.
To get the most full text, go to the Menu bar in the upper left, click on Settings, then click on Library Links. Choose University of Maine - Full Text. Contains harder to spot empirical articles.

Artificial Intelligence in the Sciences

Due to Artificial Intelligence (AI) continuing to change and expand in its use and importance in the day to day, it is important to understand it. AI is being to make decisions and to support the efforts of researchers and in our everyday life. Here are some quick introductory links about AI, the ways agencies that employ Physicists and other Scientists are using AI, and potential pitfalls around it.

Department of Energy - Artificial Intelligence for Science
The Department of Energy, a major government employer of physics graduates, has been using AI for a variety of purposes; including defense and using it at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Understanding how they are using and employing AI in their projects is important to setting yourself ahead.
Doing more, but learning less: The risks of AI in research
Yale anthropologist Lisa Messeri warns of the risks involved in envisioned AI applications for scientific research.
Institute of Physics - Physics and AI
A report given by the Institute of Physics on AI and the AI landscape, while it is for the United Kingdom and Ireland, it's findings and perspective is helpful for understand and comparing to the US.
National Science Foundation AI Institutes
The National Science Foundation funds 29 national AI institutes and these institutes are helpful in seeing where jobs in fields using AI technology may be found.
UNESCO - Ethics of Aritificial Intelligence Recommendation
The United Nations and UNESCO are also looking at AI and its usage, as well as the ethics behind its use. This is an area still in the early stages and debate continues to grow, making it potentially an area of research and scholarship for those interested.

Finding Full Text

Tools to help you get past Paywalls and to the full text of an article.

Proxy Bookmarklet
When Fogler Library pays for content this can push you past a paywall.
Interlibrary Loan
Can deliver electronic articles we don't subscrtibe to within a day or two.

Other Guides of Interest

Astronomy
by Tom Hardy Last Updated Aug 5, 2025 50 views this year
Physics
by Tom Hardy Last Updated Sep 11, 2025 40 views this year
Cite Your Sources
by John Hutchinson Last Updated Jun 27, 2025 422 views this year
Hot Topics: Artificial Intelligence
by Heather Perrone Last Updated Aug 20, 2025 851 views this year

Cite your sources

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.