Physics & Astronomy

Resources for searching the physics literature

Finding Articles
Finding Data

Librarian

Sidney Gavel

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Key Databases

Begin your search for journal articles with these databases:

Engineering Village: Inspec Archive
Indexing database of scientific and technical literature, published by the Institution of Engineering and Technology. Coverage is extensive in the fields of physics, computing, control, and engineering.
Coverage: 1898-1968
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Web of Science
A multidisciplinary citation index covering journal articles and conference proceedings in sciences, social sciences, and humanities from 1900 to current. Provides cited reference searching and journal impact factors. Also includes access to Essential Science Indicators.
Please see this FAQ for accessibility workarounds for accessing Web of Science. For more help, please contact eproblems@utk.edu.
Scopus
A multidisciplinary abstract and citation database with enriched data and linked scholarly literature in science, engineering, medicine, social sciences, and some arts & humanities. Coverage is strongest from 1996 to present. Chrome is the preferred browser for this platform.
arXiv.org
A repository of research articles in physics, mathematics, computer science, and nonlinear sciences.

Related Science Databases

SAO/NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
A bibliographic database covering astronomy, planetary science, and physics.

Engineering Village: Compendex
The primary database for engineering and covers areas such as engineering physics, materials science, acoustics, and optics.
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Engineering Village: GeoRef
Covers the geosciences, including geophysics, geochemistry, extraterrestrial geology, and crystallography.
Users of screen readers should avoid using iPads and also the Firefox browser.

INSPIRE-HEP
A high-energy physics literature database.

ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global
Dissertations and theses in all disciplines from around the world, many with full-text.

SciTech Connect (1940s-present)
Covers energy-related journal articles, conference papers, technical reports, and more. Subject areas include energy, materials, and physics.

Journal & E-Book Collections

Searching the full-text of journal articles can be a useful strategy if you are not getting many results from the databases. Keep in mind that your search will be narrowed to a single publisher's journals.

AIP Scitation
Contains content from several publishers including the Acoustical Society of America and the American Institute of Physics.
Institute of Physics
Includes journals such as Astrophysical Journal, Europhysics Letters, and Journal of Physics A-G.
Optics InfoBase
Journals published by The Optical Society.
Physical Review Online Archive (PROLA)
The American Physical Society's archive for Physical Review Letters, Reviews of Modern Physics, and Physical Review A-E.

ScienceDirect
A multidisciplinary collection of peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters published by Elsevier.
If the content of a ScienceDirect article is inaccessible to you, please contact eproblems@utk.edu to request an accessible alternative format
Springer Nature Link
Full-text journals and e-books on the Springer platform.
If the content of a Springer Link article is inaccessible to you, please contact eproblems@utk.edu to request an accessible alternative format."
Wiley Online Library
Multidisciplinary selection of full-text journals and ebooks published by Wiley.
If the content of a Wiley database is inaccessible to you, please contact eproblems@utk.edu for assistance.
Users of keyboard or swipe/gesture navigation may require assistance with this resource and should avoid MacOS or iOS devices. Please contact eproblems@utk.edu for further assistance.