These resources contain basic overview information that can be useful when you're just beginning your research.
You can also search URSUS for technology-specific encyclopedias and handbooks, many of which are accessible online! A few examples are below, but there are many more.
Once you have a good understanding of your topic and have selected a few keywords, OneSearch is a great place to start your research! OneSearch is a convenient way to search almost all of the library’s resources using a single search box.
Below are just a few of our databases useful for technology research. For more databases with technology content, check out our Databases A-Z page and select "Technology" from the drop-down.
You can search for books in our library and other libraries using the links below. If you're not sure how to find what you're looking for, ask us!
Many images you find online are copyrighted and thus not available to be reused, although it is often hard to tell at a glance which images can be used and which cannot be.
Some images CAN be used because they are in the public domain or because their creators have released them under a creative commons license. Public domain images have had their copyright completely waived by the creator OR the copyright has expired. Creators of images under a creative commons license retain the copyright, but grant users the right to use and distribute their work.
The resources below are just a small sample of the sources of creative commons images online. A more exhaustive list can be found here.
Primary sources in the sciences are first-hand accounts of original research or projects, written by the researchers themselves.
Secondary sources in the sciences analyze, summarize, or discuss information from one or more primary sources.
For example, a journal article written by a group of researchers about their experiment would be a primary source. A newspaper or magazine article summarizing the journal article for a non-scientific audience would be a secondary source. A book or review article that summarizes the researchers' journal article plus many others about similar topics to draw broad conclusions would also be a secondary source.
Confusingly, primary and secondary sources are often found in the same databases, so you have to apply a little thoughtful analysis to the item you are looking at to determine if it is a primary or secondary source.
Examples of Primary Sources:There are many ways you can get research materials from other libraries. In the vast majority of cases, there is no charge to you for this service!
Example:
URSUS is the combined library catalog for the entire University of Maine system. You can search the entire system, or select University of Southern Maine Libraries in the drop-down.
Other helpful tips:
Most databases, as well as URSUS and MaineCat, assign subjects to books and articles. A subject is a designated word or phrase that describes an idea or concept and groups all articles or books about that concept together.