Reed College Library: Physics and Astronomy

AccessScience
Online scientific encyclopedia and dictionary. Links to related websites. Includes some biographies.

Encyclopedia of Applied Physics
Ref QC5 .E543 1991
Includes the comprehensive coverage of applied physics and related fields, such as: optics, laser physics, solid state and semiconductor physics, atom and nuclear physics, and biophysics. The web version is completely searchable and updated.

Encyclopedia of Physical Science and Technology
Ref Q123 .E497 2002
Multi-volume encyclopedia with lengthy, fairly technical, signed articles; separate subject index volume.

Macmillan Encyclopedia of Physics
Ref QC5 .M15 1996
Covers a broad range of topics that are generally associated with physics. Includes the branches of physics, laws and theorems and biographies of renowned physicists.

Review Publications

Review publications contain articles that review the research already done in a given area. A review article can give you a synthesis of a particular topic and provide you with an extensive bibliography.

To identify review articles, most databases allow you to search by article type (review) or limit your search to reviews. Reed Library also subscribes to annual reviews and review journals. You can browse the annual reviews by title, or you can search by topic. These resources are available to the Reed community only. Off campus access is available.

Advances in Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
Advances in Imaging and Electron Physics

Annual Review of … (search or browse all titles)
Reed subscribes to the entire collect of 38 Annual Review titles. A selection relevant to physics and astronomy includes:

Physical Review
We have online access to all Physical Reviews (back to the 1800's) journals through PROLA.

Reviews of Modern Physics
Interesting feature is section at back of each issue listing review articles published in other (selected) journals.

Databases

General

Academic Search Premier (1975 - present)
A multi-disciplinary database containing fulltext for more than 4,600 scholarly publications. In addition to the fulltext, the database offers indexing and abstracts for more than 8,000 journals. Nice coverage for popular/intro sciences.

Core

INSPEC (1898 - present)
Covers journals and conference proceedings in physics, electrical & electronic engineering, computing, and information technology.

Web of Science (1900 - present)
Web-based version of Science Citation Index. Provides keyword and citation access to over 5,700 major science journals.

Specialized

Scitation (1975 - present)
Database of over one million records of citations in the physical sciences. Includes AIP journals.

Journals and Journal Collections

Once you identify a citation for an article using a database, or if you just want to browse a journal title, you must determine if the library subscribes to the journal. At this time, the best way to do so is to use the Print & Electronic Journals page. For help, try How Do I Find Journal Articles?.

If you haven't identified particular journals, but would like to see what Reed has access to, you can use the mostly complete subject lists available from the journal title list.

ACM Digital Library
Searchable and browseable access to ACM journals, magazines, and conference proceedings.

American Chemical Society
Searchable and browseable fulltext access to all of the ACS journals.

Institute of Physics
Searchable and browseable fulltext access to the Institute of Physics journals.

Handbooks

AIP Physics Desk Reference
Ref QC61 .P49 2003
Tables of data, properties, etc., with explanatory text; references.

American Institute of Physics Handbook
Ref QC61 .A5 1972
Tables, reference materials, and brief, but well done descriptions of individual fields of physics.

CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics
Ref QD65 .H3 [year]
Standard reference handbook for physics and chemistry; tables, etc. Electronic edition provides access for 10 simultaneous users. (Latest print edition at reference desk.)

Dictionary of Scientific Units
Ref QC82 .J4 1992
Includes conversion tables and factors, references. See also Conversion Factors, Ref QC94 .C67 1991, and Units and Conversion Charts: A Handbook for Engineers and Scientists, Ref TA151 .W49 1988.

Handbook of Physical Quantities
Ref QC61 H36 1997
Provides specific data with a summary of principles, lists of units of physical quantities and references.

Methods of Experimental Physics
Individual volumes have specific subjects; cataloged by subject. Provides information on experimental methods. Created as a way to allow researchers to avoid literature searches, but useful any way. Similar to Experimental Methods in the Physical Sciences.

NIST-JANAF Thermochemical Tables
Ref QD511 .N57 1998
Thermodynamic and ion-energetics data. Online version available as NIST Chemistry Web Book. Searchable by name, formula, and CAS number.

Dictionaries & Encyclopedias

General

Dictionary of Physics
"This dictionary contains over 3,700 clear and concise entries, covering all commonly encountered physics terms and concepts, including terms relating to astronomy, astrophysics, and physical chemistry. The fifth edition has been fully updated and includes entries on topics such as dark energy, decoherence, and quantum computing. The dictionary also features in-depth analyses of key topics, biographies of important scientists, and chronologies of major discoveries. This is an excellent introduction to physics for beginners, and an ideal reference tool for students of physics, either at school or at university."

Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Physics
Ref QC5 .E52
Signed entries range from brief definitions to articles of several pages.

Handbuch der Physik/Encyclopedia of Physics
Ref QC4 .H3F
Systematic, encyclopedic treatise covering entire domain of physics. Each of 54 volumes covers a different subject, and has its own subject index. Vol. 55 is a subject index to the whole set. Trilingual (German, English, French.)

Acoustics

Encyclopedia of Acoustics
Ref QC221.5 .E53 1997
Comprehensive coverage of acoustics, including linear acoustics, underwater sound, speech communication, bioacoustics, and musical acoustics.

Astronomy & Astrophysics

The Astronomy and Astrophysics Encyclopedia
Ref QB14 .A873 1992
Short, signed articles with bibliographies, emphasizing “recent and current investigation”. For fewer but lengthier articles, see Encyclopedia of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Ref QB14 .E534 2001.

The Cambridge Atlas of Astronomy
Ref Maps QB65 .G6813 1994
Contains illustrations and color photographs. See also: Astronomical Calendar (Ref Maps QB65 .A84) and The Great Atlas of the Stars (Ref Maps QB65 .B7813 2001).

Dictionary of Astronomy
"Covers all commonly encountered physics terms and concepts, including terms relating to astronomy, astrophysics, and physical chemistry. Fully updated and includes entries on topics such as dark energy, decoherence, and quantum computing. The dictionary also features in-depth analyses of key topics, biographies of important scientists, and chronologies of major discoveries. This is an excellent introduction to physics for beginners, and an ideal reference tool for students of physics, either at school or at university."

Geophysics

Encyclopedia of Earth System Science
Ref QE5 .E514 1991
Signed articles, 10+ pages long, with short bibliographies; index. Covers many topics of geophysical interest.

Spectroscopy

Encyclopedia of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
Ref QC762 .E53 1995
Comprehensive coverage of theory, techniques and applications. Signed articles with extensive references.

Encyclopedia of Spectroscopy and Spectrometry
Ref QC450.3 .E53 2000
Comprehensive coverage of spectroscopy and its applications.

Library

Research Guide for Physics and Astronomy

Contact: Linda Maddux , Science Librarian

Getting Started

Review Publications

Databases

General

Core

Specialized

Journals and Journal Collections

Handbooks

Dictionaries & Encyclopedias

General

Acoustics

Astronomy & Astrophysics

Geophysics

Spectroscopy