Guides @ UF: Robin's LibGuide Home Base: Physics-Articles and Databases

Using Databases to Find Articles

Journals and Databases

The best way to search for peer-reviewed journal articles is to use a literature database. Databases index the research articles in journals and have powerful search filtering tools. Most databases also have quality standards that journals need to meet to be included, which limits your chances of encountering predatory publications.

Scientists publish research articles in journals. Databases index journal articles and add keywords. Readers use databases to search for articles on a topic.

Physics Databases

Here are some of the most useful physics databases to get started:

American Institute of Physics (AIP) Publications Requires UF Authentication

Covers a large number of physics journals
American Institute of Physics (AIP) Publications database covers over 50 physics journals.

Institute of Physics (IOP) Requires UF Authentication

Covers a large number of physics journals
IOP Publishing is the publishing branch of the Institute of Physics, and publishes many key journals in several areas of physics, including the Journals of Physics A though D and the Astrophysical Journal.

NASA Astrophysics Data System Journals Requires UF Authentication

Covers a large number of physics, astrophysics, and astronomy journals
NASA Astrophysics Data System Journals database is operated by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and includes abstracts and full-text articles covering physics, astrophysics, and astronomy, including arXiv e-prints.

NASA Technical Reports Server Requires UF Authentication

Covers NASA technical publications
NASA Technical Reports Server includes technical publications from NASA centers and institutes.

GeoRef Requires UF Authentication

If you need: geophysics articles
GeoRef is a database covering geoscience, geochemistry, and geophysics literature.

Need something else? Take me to the list of science databases, or the UF-wide list of databases A-Z

Science Databases

Here are some of the most useful general science databases:

Web of Science Requires UF Authentication

New to using databases? I recommend starting here for undergraduate students
Web of Science is a general science database with good coverage of a variety of subjects. It is an excellent choice for finding how your research intersects with other scientific disciplines. This database can also help you study how an idea has evolved over time using the citation network feature. Because of its user-friendly and visual interface, Web of Science is one of the easiest database to start using if you're new to searching.

Engineering Village / Compendex / Inspec Requires UF Authentication

If you need: to search by physical property
Engineering Village is the largest engineering database available. It covers significant engineering and technical literature from journals, technical reports, and conference proceedings and papers. Includes Compendex and the Inspec Archive (1898-1969).

Applied Science & Technology Source Requires UF Authentication

Covers a large number of physics journals
Applied Science & Technology Source is a STEM database that covers both Open Access and non-Open Access journals.

SciTech Premium Collection Requires UF Authentication

If you need: physics journals
The SciTech Premium Collection combines the Natural Science Collection and the Technology Collection databases and provides full-text titles from around the world, including scholarly journals, trade and industry journals, magazines, technical reports, conference proceedings, government publications and more into a vast and reliable source of interdisciplinary information across multiple areas of study including computer science, engineering, energy, chemistry, materials science, optics, mathematics, and physics.

Scopus Requires UF Authentication

If you need: broad scope, ability to look at author networks
Scopus is a wide-coverage database, making it a great choice for researching interdisciplinary topics. This database also includes author and citation networks, allowing you to look at data about particular authors' publications, awarded grants, and collaborations.

Science Direct Requires UF Authentication

If you need: multidisciplinary science database
Science Direct is Elsevier's multidisciplinary database covering both ebooks and peer-reviewed journals.

IEEE Xplore Requires UF Authentication

If you need: engineering and physics resources
IEEE Xplore provides full text access to technical literature in engineering and technology. It covers information from journals, magazines, books, conference proceedings and papers, and standards.

Dimensions Analytics Requires UF Authentication

Covers a wide variety of publications on many subjects
Dimensions Analytics is a comprehensive scholarly database where you can search publications, grants, patents, clinical trials, datasets, and policy documents.

Need something else? Take me to the list of science databases, or the UF-wide list of databases A-Z

Trade Publications

Here are some of the most useful general science databases to search for trade publications:

SciTech Premium Collection Requires UF Authentication

Find trade publications by searching your topic and then selecting Trade Journal from the Source Type filter options
The SciTech Premium Collection combines the Natural Science Collection and the Technology Collection databases and provides full-text titles from around the world, including scholarly journals, trade and industry journals, magazines, technical reports, conference proceedings, government publications and more into a vast and reliable source of interdisciplinary information across multiple areas of study including computer science, engineering, energy, chemistry, materials science, optics, mathematics, and physics.

Scopus Requires UF Authentication

To find trade publications, conduct your search for your topic and filter your results to Trade Journal using the Source Type filter
Scopus is a wide-coverage database, making it a great choice for researching interdisciplinary topics. This database also includes author and citation networks, allowing you to look at data about particular authors' publications, awarded grants, and collaborations.

IEEE Xplore Requires UF Authentication

To find trade publications - Filter your search to Magazine Articles (which are often trade publications)
IEEE Xplore provides full text access to technical literature in engineering and technology. It covers computing information from journals, magazines, books, conference proceedings and papers, and standards.

Need something else? Take me to the list of science databases, or the UF-wide list of databases A-Z

Preprint Servers

Preprints are early versions of research articles which have not yet been peer-reviewed. Scientists may choose to disseminate their research as preprints before submitting to an academic journal, which can make the research reported very cutting edge, but these reports should be read critically as they have not yet been reviewed by other experts.

arXiv

If you need: latest research in related fields that hasn't yet been peer reviewed
arXiv ("archive") is an open-access archive for scholarly preprints in the fields of physics, mathematics, computer science, quantitative biology, quantitative finance, statistics, electrical engineering and systems science, economics, and more.

INSPIRE

If you need: latest research in high energy physics
INSPIREIt serves as a one-stop information platform for the high energy physics community, comprising 8 interlinked databases on literature, conferences, institutions, journals, researchers, experiments, jobs and data.

Connecting from Off Campus

Connecting from off campus? You will need UF authentication to access many of the electronic resources in this guide, including databases, journal articles, and e-books. Learn how to connect from off campus.