Library: Physics: Guide Home

Physics Research Starter

Some ways to start research are:

Consult reference books and databases (encyclopedias, Credo Reference)
Find print and e-books (library catalog, EBSCO E-book Collection, ProQuest eBook Central)
Search journal indexes and databases for articles (ProQuest Central, Gale databases from TEL)

These tasks can be done in any order, but reference books are a good starting place to find an overview of a topic or to look up basic facts quickly. Books and journal articles will contain more in-depth information. There may be more commentary in journals or magazines than in books if the topic is very recent.

Frequently-used Resources

Reference databases and books

Credo Reference and Ebooks This link opens in a new window
Science Reference eBook Collection This link opens in a new window
Library Catalog This link opens in a new window

Journals

Journal Collections

ScienceDirect This link opens in a new window
SpringerLink Journals This link opens in a new window

All library print journals will be listed in the library catalog.

Library Catalog This link opens in a new window

Books and Ebooks

Credo Reference and Ebooks This link opens in a new window
EBSCO Ebook Collection This link opens in a new window
Science Reference eBook Collection This link opens in a new window

Print books will be listed in the library catalog.

Library Catalog This link opens in a new window

Print books on physics are likely to have shelving numbers starting with the following letters:

Q - Science (General)
QB - Astronomy
- QB460-466 - Astrophysics
QC - Physics
- QC1-75 - General
- QC81-114 - Weights and measures
- QC120-168.85 - Descriptive and experimental mechanics
- QC170-197 - Atomic physics. Constitution and properties of matter
- QC221-246 - Acoustics. Sound
- QC474-496.9 - Radiation physics (General)
- QC501-766 - Electricity and magnetism
- QC770-798 - Nuclear and particle physics. Atomic energy. Radioactivity
- QC801-809 - Geophysics. Cosmic physics
- QC811-849 - Geomagnetism
- QC851-999 - Meteorology. Climatology

Search Engines

Google Scholar Use this tool to search through millions of scholarly articles on the web. If you have an article title, searching it in google scholar is the quickest way to find out if it available online for free.

Science Weekly
Weekly podcast on current science events.
The Science Hour
Science news and highlights of the week

Cartoon Physics: A Graphic Novel Guide to Solving Physics Problems This link opens in a new window

Free Physics Resources on the Web

American Institute of Physics (AIP)
American Physical Society (APS) "The American Physical Society (APS) is a nonprofit membership organization working to advance and diffuse the knowledge of physics...."
American Physical Society (APS): Minorities in Physics "APS is committed to the inclusion of underrepresented minorities in physics and has spent decades working on programs to increase recruitment and retention of African American, Hispanic American, and Indigenous physicists."
American Physical Society (APS): Women in Physics "APS is committed to encouraging the recruitment, retention, and career development of women physicists at all levels."
European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) Home of the world's largest particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider.
Institute of Physics (IOP) "The Institute of Physics is the professional body and learned society for physics in the UK and Ireland...."
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST): Physical Measurement Laboratory (PML) ( "PML is a world leader in the science of measurement."
National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST): Physics
U.S. Department of Energy

Eric Weisstein's World of Physics From Wolfram.com's Scienceworld.
NIST Physical Measurement Laboratory (PML): Fundamental Physical Constants
NIST Physical Measurement Laboratory (PML): Physical Reference Data
Periodic Table An interactive Periodic Table of the Elements from the U.K. Royal Society of Chemistry.

International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM): The International System of Units (SI) A description of the International System of Units (SI), or metric system, from its international governing body.
National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST): SI Redefinition A summary of SI and its redefinition in terms of fundamental constants of nature from the U.S. Department of Commerce's body on standards.

Subject Librarian

James Gill

Email Me

Contact:

Lonas Campus Library
3904 Lonas Drive
Knoxville, TN 37909
jgill@south.edu

(865) 251-1832

Subjects: Criminal Justice, General Education, Legal Studies, Psychology, Sciences