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Computer Science & Engineering Research Guide

A research guide to introduce you to computing resources at the library, including databases, journals, tools, and other materials.

Essential Databases for Computer Science and Engineering Research

Where should I search first?

Library catalog vs. scholarly databases vs. the open web: it matters where you start your search. Different tools will bring you different types of information. None of these options is inherently "better" or "worse" than another, but beginning in the wrong place could add unnecessary time and effort to your search.

Start with the library catalog for:

  • Books and eBooks
  • DVDs and other physical items
  • "Known items": you have the title of an item (any item: article, book, journal, movie...) and just want to find out if you can get it through the library

Start with a database for:

  • Primary, peer reviewed research articles
  • Review articles
  • Conference papers
  • Magazines, newspapers, and trade publications
  • Exploratory searches: you want to find out what has been published on a given topic

Start with the open web for:

  • Basic background information on sites like Wikipedia
  • Looking up authors to check their credentials and history
  • Information about the peer review and editorial processes of particular scholarly journals
  • Repositories, archives, and other openly accessible online sources for specialty information such as: data sets, technical documents, government documents, images, computer code, etc. Consider asking a librarian for help with these kinds of searches!

Computer Science and Engineering at Gonzaga University

Top Resources in Related Science & Technology Fields

Please refer to the full Biology Research Guide for resources, tools, and services in biology, biochemistry, and biomedicine.

Please refer to the full Chemistry Research Guide for more resources, tools, and services in the fields of chemistry and biochemistry.

Please refer to the full Engineering and Applied Science guide for further resources.

Please refer to the full Environmental Studies Research Guide for resources, tools, and services related to environmental science and environmental and sustainability policy.

Please refer to the full Mathematics Research Guide for more resources, tools, and services for mathematics research.

Please refer to the full Physics Research Guide for resources, tools, and services for research in physics.

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