• Using Ei Compendex
• Search basics
• Search specifics
• Publication title search
• To search or browse by author
• To view your search results
• To email your search results
• To save your search results
• To print your search results
• To begin a new search or exit your current search
• For more help
• Additional hints: Expert Search

1. Ei Compendex, the web version of Engineering Index, is a comprehensive bibliographic database of engineering research literature, containing references and abstracts to engineering journals and conferences. The interface can also be used to search INSPEC.
2. Approximately 5000 journals, conference proceedings, and selected books, technical reports and government reports are indexed. Ei Compendex includes literature dating from 1884 to the present. Access is restricted to systems with campus IP addresses.
3. Open the Ei Compendex search page by selecting the Ei Compendex database from one of the Database Search Page page (see a Reference Librarian for assistance).

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1. To begin searching, use the first pull-down window at the left of the screen and select the database you wish to search. In the following examples we will be using Compendex.
2. The Quick Search is designed for fast, straightforward searching.
3. Enter search term(s) in one or more of the SEARCH FOR textboxes. You may search a term in a specific field by selecting the field from the SEARCH IN pull-down menu to the right of the textbox.
4. The three search boxes available allow you to combine terms using Boolean operators AND, OR, and NOT.
5. Using the search limits (document type, treatment type, language and date) is a useful way to craft searches that retrieve results that serve your research needs more precisely.
6. Search results for Compendex can be sorted by either relevance or publication year.

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1. When you select "Subject/Title/Abstract" or "All Fields" in the SEARCH IN box, your terms are being searched across multiple fields.
2. A query to Compendex using All Fields, searches the entire record, and may retrieve more hits, while a search using Subject/Title/Abstract is searching the title, abstract, and controlled vocabulary fields, and may result in greater precision.
3. You may enter one or more terms in the text box. Enter words or phrases, omitting punctuation, articles or prepositions, since they will be ignored.
   Example: steel crack propagation
   Example: maglev vehicles
4. The search engine autostems your terms (expands them to include all forms of the root word). So, management returns managing, managed, manager, manage, managers, etc.
5. The asterisk (*) is the right-hand truncation symbol. So, comput* returns computer, computerized, computation, computational, computability, etc.

1. Enter one or more words from the title in the textbox and select Serial Title in the SEARCH IN box.
   Example: signal processing
2. Alternatively, use the Browse Indexes to help you construct your search.
3. Select the Serial Title button.
4. Click on Find.
5. Use the Search For box to find a term in the title.
6. You can also click on an alphabetical link to browse the list.

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1. Select Author from the SEARCH IN drop-down box.
2. Type in the last name, first initial in the SEARCH FOR textbox, and click on Search.
3. Alternatively, use the Browse Indexes to help you construct your search.
4. You may also want to ensure that you are including all variations on a first name, including initials and full name. For example, Robert Metcalfe has published under Metcalfe, Robert M., Metcalfe, R. M., and Metcalfe, Bob.
   Example: metcalfe, b*
   Example: metcalfe, r*

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1. Records are displayed in short (brief) format.
2. Change sorting of retrieved records using the pull-down menu to either sorting by relevance or by publication date.
3. Change record range (1-25, 26-50, etc.) by clicking on the record range pull-down menu.
4. To view abstracts or detailed format click on the Abstract Links link or Detailed Record Links link below a given record.
5. To change the Viewing format click on the Abstract or Detailed record button.
6. Select records for later printing, etc. by checking the box next to the desired records or clicking on the hyperlink Select all on page (which selects all records currently displayed).
7. Note that search results do not include information on who owns the publications. Click on the Holdings in CSM's Catalog link in the Detailed Record to search for the journal by ISSN.

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1. Check the box next to the desired records or click on the hyperlink Select all on page.
2. Use the record range pull-down menu to view and select additional records, if wanted, before saving.
3. Click on the E-mail button.

1. Check the box next to the desired records or click on the hyperlink Select all on page.
2. Use the record range pull-down menu to view and select additional records, if wanted, before saving.
3. Click on the Download button.

1. Check the box next to the desired records or click on the hyperlink Select all on page.
2. If additional records need to be viewed, use the record range pull-down menu to view and select them.
3. Click on the Print button.

1. Click on the New Search button at the top of the screen.

1. Click on the End Session button at the top of the screen.

• Click on the Ei Compendex Help tab.
• Contact the Reference staff.
• See our Database Search Tips for tips on conducting effective searches.

Expert Search

The Expert Search interface provides a larger search window in which you can construct complex queries. In Compendex Expert Search, you have the ability to search many more fields than are available in the Quick Search. Expert Search provides more power and flexibility. It incorporates advanced Boolean logic and includes more search options than Quick Search. A single search box is provided in Expert Search.

To execute a search within a specific field you use the "within" command (wn) and a field code:

"light weight steel autobody" wn AB
(seatbelts OR seat belts) wn TI

Indexes are available for Ei Subject terms, authors, authors affiliations, serial titles, and more. Using the indexes is strongly recommended

Boolean Operators can be used between terms to control the results of your query. The system is not case sensitive, so you can enter operators in either lower or uppercase:

Gilbert, Barrie wn AU AND Analog Devices wn AF
rapid transit OR light rail OR subways

The near operator calculates a score for records that contain your terms based on how close they are to each other. The terms in your query are AND'ed together within a parameter of 100 words. If the terms are not within 100 words of one another in a given record, that record will not be retrieved.

The asterisk *, added at the end of the search term, is used as a wildcard, to specify multiple characters that might appear after the term. For example, optic* retrieves optic, optics, optical, etc.

The dollar sign $, inserted at the beginning of the search term, is used to search for words that have the same linguistic root as the term. For example, $compute retrieves compute, computer, computing. Note: The stemming operator expands terms only in a very limited manner. For a higher level of control over your query term expansion, use the wildcard operator *.

Use parentheses to specify the order of operation:

(International Space Station OR Mir) AND gravitational effects AND (French wn LA or German wn LA or English wn LA)