Mechanical Engineering
Engineering Librarian
About this guide
This guide highlights resources for students in mechanical engineering and highlights resources useful for design research and senior projects.
For research help, please contact Sarah Lester, Engineering Librarian or use the library's 24/7 chat help.
Scholar Representation by Race
This tally acknowledges the white supremacy in this field: the numbers indicate the racial representation of the books listed in this libguide.
Black authors: 0 Indigenous authors: 0 Other POC authors: 0 White authors: 2
You will find this on many of our LibGuides, as a system to keep us accountable in looking at the racial diversity of the sources we provide.
Find Peer Reviewed Articles and Conference Proceedings
The following are most of the commonly used databases for research in Mechanical Engineering. Compendex is one of the best starting places for research in Engineering
- ASME Digital Collection This link opens in a new windowASME Digitial Collection covers subject areas such as biomechanical engineering, heat transfer, fluids engineering, aerospace, nanotechnology, transportation and more. Cal Poly users may access ASME's Transaction Journals from 2000 to the present.
- Compendex (Engineering Village) This link opens in a new windowCompendex is a database of scientific and technical engineering research, covering all engineering disciplines.
Note: Users must have pop-ups enabled on their browser for Find It links to work. Ad blocking software may also block some functionality. - Google Scholar This link opens in a new windowGoogle Scholar allows you to simultaneously search scholarly content across many disciplines, databases, and information sources. Results can include books, articles, chapters, conference proceedings, and more.
Tips on using Google Scholar are available here. - IEEE/IET Electronic Library (IEL) This link opens in a new windowThe IEEE/IET Electronic Library provides full-tex access. It includes publications in electrical engineering, computer science, telecommunications, electronics and related disciplines.
- Inspec (Engineering Village) This link opens in a new windowInspec® is a comprehensive index to global literature in electronics, computer science, physics, electrical, control, production and mechanical engineering. Includes INSPEC Thesaurus, Classification Codes and other specialized search aids.
- SAE Aerospace and Vehicle Standards, Journals, and Technical Papers This link opens in a new windowSAE MOBILUS includes standards and journals related to the aerospace, automotive and commercial-vehicle industries. Cal Poly users may access Ground Vehicle Standards, USCAR Reports, Aerospace Standards, and Aerospace Material Specifications, as well as all SAE international journals from 2013 to present and all SAE Technical Papers from 1998 to present.
- Web of Science (Core Collection) This link opens in a new windowWeb of Science (Core Collection) provides a single search across Arts & Humanities Citation Index, Science Citation Index, and Social Sciences Citation Index. Additional Web of Science databases are easily accessible.
Finding standards
The library provides access to a number of standards in digital format. The following databases provide access to those subscriptions. If you need help locating a standard, please contact your Engineering Librarian.
- ASCE Library This link opens in a new window The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Library contains ASCE journals, conference proceedings, e-books and standards.
- ASTM Standards & Digital Library This link opens in a new window The ASTM Digital Library includes the complete Book of Standards as well as access to every book, paper, and journal article published by ASTM. ASTM Digital Library covers a broad range of engineering disciplines including: aerospace, biomedical, chemical, civil, environmental, geological, health and safety, industrial, materials science, mechanical, nuclear, petroleum, soil science and solar engineering.
- ASHRAE Publications This link opens in a new window ASHRAE publications cover heating, ventilating, air conditioning and refrigerating, including a focus on building systems, energy efficiency, and indoor air quality. Cal Poly users may access ASHRAE Handbooks, Journal, Transactions, Standards and Guidelines.
- IEEE/IET Electronic Library (IEL) This link opens in a new window The IEEE/IET Electronic Library provides access to full-text documents from publications in electrical engineering, computer science, telecommunications, electronics and related disciplines, including journals, ebooks, standards, and conference proceedings from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), John Wiley & Sons, and MIT Press.
- SAE Aerospace and Vehicle Standards, Journals, and Technical Papers This link opens in a new window SAE MOBILUS provides standards and journals related to the aerospace, automotive and commercial-vehicle industries. Cal Poly users may access Ground Vehicle Standards, USCAR Reports, Aerospace Standards, and Aerospace Material Specifications, as well as all SAE international journals from 2013 to present and all SAE Technical Papers from 1990 to present.
In addition to our subscribed content, you can access the following standards for free online.
Mechanical Engineering Handbooks
These handbooks are commonly used resources for looking up mechanical specifications, design principals, and machine elements.
Mechanical Engineers' Handbook, Materials and Mechanical Design by ISBN: 1118907752Publication Date: 2015
- ASM Handbooks Online This link opens in a new windowASM Handbooks Online is a comprehensive source of information on ferrous and non-ferrous metals and materials technology.
Senior Projects
Digital Commons is where you can find examples of previous work or research past senior projects