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A Research Guide for Engineering Project Teams

Technical Reports

Technical reports are usually produced to provide in-depth information on a research project to a funding agency. These reports often include detailed research process, data, and results. However, these are usually not peer-reviewed.

Finding technical reports can be hard -- don't hesitate to ask for help at engrref@cornell.edu.

Good starting points for finding governmental reports are:

For non-governmental reports, you can start your search from:

  • Engineering Village database for American Society for Mechanical Engineers) technical papers
  • SAE Mobilus database for Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) technical papers

Standards and Safety Information

Safety information will be in standards and federal codes and regulations.

ASTM and AATCC standards are available via ASTM Compass.
IEEE standards (except Draft standards) are accessible via IEEE Xplore.
ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section II - Materials, is available online.
ASQ (American Society for Quality) 

Patents

If you are interested in commercializing your work and don't know where to start, look for prior art (or patents) in your research topic. These databases let you search patents from many countries:

To apply for a patent, get advice on patent licensing, or help with copyright questions, reach out to: