Suggested Library Resources for Industrial Technology
The Department of Industrial Technology offers programs in Commercial Driver's License Training (CDL), Diesel Technology, Facilities Management, Heavy Equipment, Precision Machine Technology, Sustainable Construction, and Welding. The library provides resources both online and in print to support these programs.
Use your NetID and password to access library databases off campus.
- Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new window
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Full text scholarly journal, trade publication, magazine and newspaper articles, books, book reviews, reports, and Associated Press video content, covering all subject areas.
- Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
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Continuously updated full text collection of over 880 general and subject specific titles from 116 publishers with particular emphasis on encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, and reference handbooks. - Small Engine Repair Source (formerly Small Engine Repair Reference Center) This link opens in a new window
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Full text of Clymer repair manuals; consists of step-by-step maintenance and repair instructions for hundreds of small engine machines and their supporting components.
- Vocational & Career Collection This link opens in a new window
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Full text articles from nearly 350 trade and industry periodicals relevant to vocational studies.
Finding Books and Other Items in the Library
Many items in the library are arranged by call number (the number on the sticker on the spine of the item). Try browsing the call numbers in these ranges for Industrial Technology:
- Soldering and Welding Equipment: 621.977
- Riveting and Welding: 623.8432
- Metalworking: 671
- Welding: 671.52-672.52
- Building and Green Building Materials: 691
- Carpentry and Wood Construction: 694
- Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning: 697
The library also has some journals in print, though most are available only online.
- Fine Homebuilding
- Home Shop Machinist
- Journal of Light Construction
- Machinists Workshop
- MAKE
- Motor Trend
- Nuts and Volts
- Popular Mechanics
- Popular Science
- Science News
- Technology Review
- This Old House
- Welding Journal
Developing a Research Question
1. Select a topic that interests you and do some pre-research. Look at course readings and class notes. Find information using Google, Wikipedia, CQ Researcher, or Credo Reference if you need ideas.
2. Consider the scope of your topic. If it is too narrow, you might have trouble finding enough information. If it is too broad, you can be overwhelmed with information.
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Think about your assignment prompt while determining the scope of your topic. It is important to consider the size of the assignment and the length of time you have to complete it in thinking about scope.
3. Turn your focused topic into a research question. Know that your research question may change slightly depending on what sorts of resources you find. While you should have a topic or question in mind, allow the sources you find, along with your interests, to help shape and refine your topic further.
Questions to guide the development of your research question:
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Is it focused enough to be covered in my paper or project?
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Is there enough literature available on this topic?
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What is the question that my research is answering?
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Am I genuinely interested in this topic?
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Is my topic going to be new and interesting to my audience?
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How do you determine if a resource has quality, useful information?