Engineering Research Guide: ENGR 100

The following sources offer career information on various engineering areas and may include published interviews, extended salary information, and "day in the life" info.  To cite these sources, follow the example on the library's APA 7th edition handout for an entry in an encyclopedia or dictionary, in print or in a library database.

Cite this as an online reference source with a government agency author.  The library's APA 7th Edition handout includes a citation example for the Occupational Outlook Handbook under Misc Sources.

• If you use a reference source that includes a published interview as part of a career overview article, the article can be cited as a whole and it is not necessary to cite the interview as a separate source.
• Personal interviews conducted by you would not normally appear in the References list, but your instructor would like to see an entry for it.  The following suggested citation is based on the way interviews are handled in-text, since there is no example of an interview citation in the APA Manual.  Include the name of the person interviewed, the date of the interview, and the description of the event:
  Smith, A. (2024, March 24). Personal interview. 

Use the online catalog to conduct a keyword search.  Be sure to note:

• the collection of the item (Books, Reference, etc.)
• the item's call number
• whether the item is available or has been checked out
• if the item is an e-book or website, use the embedded link to access it 

Search tips

• Most of the library's databases are not completely full text, so please check the box to limit to full text if the database provides one. Generally speaking, if there is no full text checkbox, then the database contains all full text sources (ex. Gale eBooks, Salem Online).
   
• Search with keywords, not sentences:
  • Full sentence: What went wrong with the Space Shuttle Challenger?
  • Major concepts: "space shuttle challenger" and engineering ; "space shuttle challenger" and design ; "space shuttle challenger" and analysis
  • Tip: When using "basic search" put an and between terms. You can also switch from "basic search" to "advanced search" in any database to search more than one term at once by filling in the search boxes. If you need to limit your search to a particular date range, then use the "advanced search."
  • Be flexible about search terms. Think of synonyms and related terms you can try if your initial search strategy doesn't produce the results you want. You may need to use different terms for different databases.
     
• The types of sources you find will depend on the databases you search:
  • For background information on topics, including historical context, Gale eBooks and Salem Online are great places to search.
  • For articles written at the time of historical events, try one of the ProQuest Newspaper databases. 
  • For information on cultural and historical context, check out American Decades.
     
• Many of the databases will show a suggested APA citation. It's fine to start with these citations, but it is your responsibility to check them for accuracy and make corrections based on the library's APA handouts, the Pocket Style Manual, etc. Click on the Citing Sources tab at the top of this guide for access to APA handouts, tutorials, and more. Make sure you are using the library's updated handouts for APA 7th Edition.

Tip: Research is a trial and error process, and librarians are happy to help you brainstorm or find articles! Chat with us during library hours, or Email anytime.