LibGuides@Southampton: Physics and Astronomy: Subject databases

Quick links to databases and guides

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2024 P&A Databases
Excel sheet with information about the databases
2024 P&A Spreadsheet in Word format
Information about the databases in Word format
2024 P&A Spreadsheet in PDF/A format
Information about the databases in PDF/A format

Databases

Astrophysics Data System This link opens in a new window
The SAO/NASA Astrophysics Data System is a Digital Library portal for researchers in Astronomy and Physics. It contains searchable bibliographic records across the disciplines, and full-text scans of much of the astronomical literature. Further information.

Quick Help: Doing a literature search in ADS
Want to learn more about doing a literature search in ADSA?

arXiv This link opens in a new window
arXiv provides open access to research papers in physics and related disciplines. It includes articles not yet peer-reviewed/ published and allows access to cutting edge research.
Compendex This link opens in a new window
Compendex is the broadest and most complete engineering literature database available in the world and includes publications about Physics. It has over 20 million records from 77 countries across 190 engineering disciplines.

Compendex Terms and Codes

2023 Updated terms and codes used in the Compendex database

CORE This link opens in a new window
Core is the world’s largest collection of open access full text research papers - aggregating and enriching open access research papers from around the world.
HEP-INSPIRE This link opens in a new window
A high energy physics information system combining SPIRES database content, curated at DESY, Fermilab and SLAC, with digital library technology developed at CERN.
IEEE Xplore This link opens in a new window
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Full text access to all IET and IEEE journals and conferences since 1988 and all active and archival (but not draft) IEEE standards.
INSPEC This link opens in a new window
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A leading database in the fields of physics, electronics and electrical engineering, computers and control, and information technology. It contains abstracts of articles from over 3000 journals, as well as conference proceedings, books, technical reports and dissertations. Coverage: 1966 to date. Further information

Inspec Terms and Codes 2022

Updated terms and codes used in the database
Inspec Terms and Codes 2023

Updated terms and codes used in the database

JSTOR This link opens in a new window
Includes 1,500+ leading academic journals in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences,
Also lists select monographs and other academic sources such as Hebrew language journals

Particle Data Group
The Particle Data Group (PDG) is an international collaboration that provides a comprehensive summary of Particle Physics and related areas of Cosmology: the Review of Particle Physics.

Scopus This link opens in a new window
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Scopus is the largest abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature: scientific journals, books and conference proceedings. Delivering a comprehensive overview of the world's research output in the fields of science, technology, medicine, social sciences, and arts and humanities, Scopus features smart tools to track, analyze and visualize research.
SPIE Digital Library This link opens in a new window
This resource gives access to all the publications of the SPIE including: Spie Proceedings - original research papers presented at SPIE conferences (available two to four weeks after each event); SPIE Journals - peer-reviewed articles on applied research in optics and photonics; Spie eBooks - a collection of more than 160 optics and photonics titles incorporating monographs, tutorial texts and field guides.
Web of Science This link opens in a new window
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Previously called the Web of Knowledge. Provides access to a number of databases including Web of Science Core Collection (covering engineering, science, health, social science, humanities, etc.), BIOSIS (biological & biomedical science) and Inspec (physics, computing, electrical & electronic engineering, etc.). Select 'All Databases’ to search multiple databases simultaneously or choose an individual database.

Online Training for Research Postgraduates & Staff

LinkedIn Learning For help with general IT skills, particularly MS Office (Word, Excel etc). Online video tutorials. University username and password required.

IT Training highlights the range of online training provided by isolutions for the software they support.

ProQuest Dissertations and Thesis Global

ProQuest Dissertations & Thesis Global
Largest repository of graduate dissertations and theses. 5 million works; grows by 200,000 each year
International - content from universities in nearly 100 countries. Accessed by thousands of institutions.

About tutorials and library sessions

Here you will find tutorials about databases, a link to the Library Online courses, and recent Library sessions. http://library.soton.ac.uk/sash/workshops/

Here is a free online tutorial to help Physics students develop their Internet research skills:

Virtual Training Suite – Physics

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Engineering Village tutorials

IEEE Xplore tutorial with videos

A very short quiz on IEEE Xplore database
The format of the quiz is in MS Forms

Introduction to Compendex
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Short quiz on Compendex database
This quiz is in the MS Forms

Feedback on Engineering Village, Compendex, IEEE Xplore tutorials
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Compendex Terms and Codes

Updated terms and codes used in the Compendex database
Inspec Terms and Codes 2022

Updated terms and codes used in the database
Inspec Terms and Codes 2023

Updated terms and codes used in the database

Physics and Astronomy: Subject databases

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