Research Guides: Design Thinking & Communication (DTC): Find Articles

Introduction

A number of DTC topics relate to medical devices. Information on medical devices is on another tab in this guide.

Other DTC topics are more interdisciplinary, and a successful research paper will require information from databases in many fields. Scopus and Web of Science both have articles from a large number of fields.

Scopus This link opens in a new window
Articles and conference proceedings in Chemistry, Psychology, Engineering, Economics, Environmental Sciences, and Biology.
Web of Science This link opens in a new window
Articles and conference proceedings across the science disciplines as well as some coverage in social sciences and humanities.

Google Scholar is another resource that has sources from a wide variety of fields. Here is a video that will help you figure out which resources in Google Scholar we have access to.

Education/Schools

If your topic relates to education or schools, try looking for articles in ERIC or Education Abstracts:

ERIC This link opens in a new window
Access to education-related literature. Covers 1966-present.
Education Abstracts This link opens in a new window
Education journals and books, from 1983-present.

Product Construction

If your topic relates to product construction, try looking for articles in Applied Science and Technology Abstracts, Inspec, IEEE/IEE Electronic Library, or ACM Digital Library:

Applied Science & Technology Abstracts This link opens in a new window
Articles in engineering, acoustics, computers, telecommunications, and transportation.
INSPEC This link opens in a new window
Articles in physics, electrical engineering, computing, information technology, and electronics.
IEEE Xplore Digital Library This link opens in a new window
Articles in electrical engineering, computer science, and electronics.
ACM Digital Library This link opens in a new window
Covers a broad range of computer science topics

Materials Research

If your topic relates to research on material properties, try looking in the Materials Science & Engineering Collection or ASM Handbooks:

Materials Science & Engineering Collection This link opens in a new window
Articles in materials science, metallurgy, ceramics, and polymers
ASM Handbooks Online This link opens in a new window
Volumes from the the ASM handbook series presented together in an online format.

Newspapers

We have access to a number of major newspapers:

The Quick Access research guide has links to the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and Chicago Tribune.
The News Sources research guide has in-depth information about our access to current and historical newspapers

Environmental Studies/Sustainability

If your topic relates to the environment or sustainability, try looking for articles in the Agricultural & Environmental Sciences Database, GreenFILE, or browsing the resources on the Ellen MacArthur Foundation website:

Agricultural & Environmental Science Collection This link opens in a new window
Comprehensive coverage of the environmental sciences.
GreenFILE This link opens in a new window
Information about the human impact on the environment

Ellen MacArthur Foundation - Circular Economy
Videos, podcasts, articles, tutorials, and project-based learning on the circular economy

Business

If your topic relates to business or marketing, try looking for information in IBISWorld, ABI/Inform, or Business Source Premier:

IBISWorld This link opens in a new window
Business reports in industry market research, industry risk ratings, company research, global industry research, and economic and demographic data.
ABI/INFORM Global This link opens in a new window
Comprehensive coverage of management techniques, marketing, economics, taxation, business and economic conditions, human resources, and computers.
Business Source Premier This link opens in a new window
Articles from business and trade journals.

Social Justice

If your topic relates to social justice, here are some resources to get you started:

Watch the TED Talk: The Danger of a Single Story by Chimamanda Adiche to learn about why multiple voices are important.
Read The Question of Class by Paul Gorski to learn about classist assumptions in classrooms
Take a look at the Race:The Power of Illusion to learn about the concept of race
Watch the TED Talk: The Urgency of Intersectionality by Kimberlé Crenshaw
Read Beyond the Bullet Points: Power and Empowerment by R. David Lankes to learn about social justice

Thanks to Sandra Hughes-Hassell and INLS 690: Information Services in a Diverse Society for these resources.