Amidst the spinning electrons that we exploit nearly every time we do research, let us not forget the value of print resources available in most any college library. From style manuals that go well beyond the scope of this one to guidebooks published by professional organizations, an amazing number of print resources are available in libraries to help us track down definitive answers to questions and narrow our research focus. Below I list just a few of the best print resources available by category, along with their call numbers so you can easily track them down. Many of these resources are updated every few years, and most will reside on the references shelves in your library.
STYLE MANUALS provide stylistic guidelines and answers to matters of grammar and format.
| PN171.D37L5 1993 |
Electronic Style: A Guide to Citing Electronic Information. |
| PN147.A28 1985 |
The MLA Style Manual. |
| BF76.7.A46 |
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. |
| Z253.C5701 |
The Chicago Manual of Style. |
| PN147.M47 1983 |
The McGraw-Hill Style Manual. |
| LB2369.D8 1962 |
A Manual of Form for Theses and Term Reports. |
| PE1475.S25 1994 |
Helping Researchers Write—So Managers Can Understand. |
| PE1408.S772 1959 |
The Elements of Style. |
| T11.M56 |
Writing for Technical and Professional Journals. |
| T11.K34 1985 |
Elements of the Scientific Paper. |
| T11.M418 1982 |
How to Write and Publish Engineering Papers and Reports. |
| T11.E35 |
The Art of Technical Writing. |
| T11.D33 1988 |
How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper. |
| T11.S65 1977 |
Technical Report Writing. |
| QD85.A25 1986 |
The ACS Style Guide: A Manual for Authors and Editors. |
| PE1475.T53 1988 |
Effective Writing for Engineers, Managers, Scientists. |
DICTIONARIES define words and describe how to use them.
| PE1693.G3 1990 |
Acronyms, Initialisms, & Abbreviations Dictionary. |
| PE1680.M59 |
Harper Dictionary of Contemporary Usage. |
| PE1591.M37 1962 |
Roget’s International Thesaurus. |
| PE1680.R63 1957 |
The Word Finder. |
| Q123.M15 1983 |
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms. |
| QA5.J32 1976 |
Mathematics Dictionary. |
ENCYCLOPEDIAS provide general and specialized background information.
| Q121.M3 1982 |
McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. |
| QH540.4.M3 1980 |
McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Environmental Science. |
| AE5.E363 1990 |
Encyclopedia Britannica. |
HANDBOOKS guide you to preliminary information and serve as reference tools.
| TJ151.M371 |
Standard Handbook for Mechanical Engineers. |
| TK151.S8 |
Standard Handbook for Electrical Engineers. |
| QA47.M315 27th |
CRC Standard Mathematical Tables. |
| QD65.H301 |
CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. |
| T56 1971 |
Industrial Engineering Handbook. |
| TA151.S8 |
Standard Handbook for Civil Engineers. |
ABSTRACTS AND INDEXES lead you to specific journal articles.
| QD1.A51 |
Chemical Abstracts. |
| QA75.5.A25 |
ACM Guide to Computing Literature. |
| QA76.C5854 |
Computing Reviews. |
| G1.G36 |
Geo Abstracts. |
| TD180.P6 |
Pollution Abstracts. |
| HD9540.5.E55 |
Energy Index. |
| Z5322.E2E53 |
Environmental Index. |
| QA1.M76 |
Mathematical Reviews. |
| QA276.A1 C87 |
Current Index to Statistics. |
| TN1.A58 |
Metallurgical Abstracts. |
BUSINESS SOURCES describe industries, corporations, and products.
| T12.T6Q |
Thomas Register of American Manufacturers. |
| HC107.P4A282 |
Harris Pennsylvania Industrial Directory. |
CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS lead you to papers given at conferences.
| Z7401.I54 |
Index to Scientific and Technical Proceedings. |
| Z7409.D56 |
Directory of Published Proceedings. |
BIOGRAPHICAL SOURCES give general information about scientists.
| Q141.A47 |
American Men and Women of Science. |
| Q141.D5 1981 |
Dictionary of Scientific Biography. |
| T39.W5 |
Who’s Who in Technology Today. |
GUIDES TO THE LITERATURE list some of the best resources in the field.
| QA41.7.S3 |
Using the Mathematical Literature, a Practical Guide. |
| Z7551.B86 |
How to Find Out About Statistics. |
| QA76.C6501 |
Computing Information Directory. |
TECHNICAL REPORTS give results of ongoing governmental research.
| Z7913.U2 |
Government Reports Announcement and Index. |
| Z1223.A18 |
Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government Publications. |