Use the databases listed below to find journal articles, books, and book chapters related to your research topic.
Online archive of eBooks and complete backruns of scholarly journals in a variety of academic fields.
Full text access to scholarly humanities, social sciences, and mathematics journals.
Historical abstracts of North American and global history research journals, covering 1450 to the present.
Over 1100 titles, many published on behalf of prestigious societies, organizations and associations such as: Association of American Geographers, American Planning Association, British Educational Research Association, and the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). Search and explore the millions of quality, peer-reviewed journal articles published under the Taylor & Francis, Routledge and Dove Medical Press imprints.
Indexing and full text of hundreds of journals, books and other published sources from around the world on various humanities topics.
A powerful search tool to streamline your library research. Entering terms into a single search box yields results that include: books and e-books, research and news articles, project reports, electronic theses and dissertations, archival materials, patents, open access collections and more.
Google search for scholarly literature, including peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, preprints, abstracts and technical reports on all topic areas. Use to find articles from academic publishers, professional societies, prepublication repositories and universities.
Catalog of books and other materials in libraries worldwide.
Books are a vital sources of historical scholarship. To find books at the Gordon Library, type your keywords into the WPI Library Search. Use the drop-down menu to the right of the search box to select "Books & Media."
To limit your search to online books, go to the Availability filter on the left and select Available online.
To limit your search to print books, go to the Availability filter on the left and select Available on shelf.
Listed below are examples of books about the history of science and technology. These books were written or edited by historians. When you find a book for your research, remember to check the credentials of the authors/editors and to research the reputation of the publisher in order to evaluate the credibility of the book.
When Old Technologies Were New: Thinking about Electric Communication in the Late Nineteenth Century by 
The Shock of the Old: Technology and Global History Since 1900 by 
A History of Technoscience: Erasing the Boundaries between Science and Technology by 
The American Robot: A Cultural History by 
The Philosophy of Biology: An Episodic History by A peer-reviewed journal is a respected publication. Before articles are published within these types of journals, they are sent by the editors of the journal to other scholars in the field ("peers"), often anonymously, to get feedback on the quality of the scholarship, review research methods, as well as relevance or importance to the field. The article may be accepted, often with revisions suggested, or rejected for publication. Many peer-reviewed journals have low acceptance rates.
Peer-reviewed articles are typically substantial in length (often 10 pages or more) and typically have many citations.
To find peer reviewed articles in WPI Library Search, enter your keywords and then choose the Peer-Reviewed Journals filter on the left.
Primary sources are materials that provide firsthand testimony to a subject under investigation. Researchers often use these firsthand accounts of specific events to understand events from the viewpoint of people living during that time period. Primary sources include letters, diaries, photographs, newspaper articles, and pamphlets. Primary sources also include writings and recordings by witnesses who experienced the events or conditions being documented. For example, oral histories, autobiographies, and memoirs are primary sources.
Candid Science: Conversations with Famous Chemists by 
Candid Science III: More Conversations With Famous Chemists by 
Candid Science V: Conversations With Famous Scientists by 
Candid Science VI: More Conversations With Famous Scientists by 
A Documentary History of Biochemistry, 1770-1940 by 
Einstein on Einstein: Autobiographical and Scientific Reflections by 
A Stubbornly Persistent Illusion by WPI's Archives and Special Collections offer great resources for primary sources. To learn more about the Archives' collections or to schedule a visit to the Archives, please fill out their contact form or e-mail archives@wpi.edu.
When searching in the library's databases, you may find an abstract for an article but not the full-text. When this happens, click on the FullTextFinder icon.
The FullTextFinder will either redirect you to another database that has the full-text of the article or it will tell you that we don't have this article in our collections. If we don't have an article that you need, request the article via Interlibrary Loan. Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is a service that allows WPI students and faculty to request items from other libraries free of charge.
Is there something you need that the WPI library doesn't have? Our Interlibrary Loan service allows WPI students and faculty to request items from other libraries free of charge.
Use WorldCat.org to search for books, articles, and more at libraries around the world. Request materials from other libraries via Interlibrary Loan.
The Academic and Research Collaborative (ARC) allows member users to borrow directly from Worcester area libraries. Before you can borrow materials directly from participating libraries, you need to sign up for an ARC card in person at the Gordon Library's Information Desk. Pick up your ARC card today!
As a resident of Massachusetts, you can sign up for a library card at the Worcester Public Library (WPL). WPI students with a college ID can are eligible for WPL cards. You can also sign up for an ecard, which allows you to access the WPL's online resources.
As a resident of Massachusetts, you can also sign up for a library card at the Boston Public Library (BPL). Students who live in Massachusetts while attending school are eligible for a BPL card. The BPL also has an option for an ecard, which allows you to access the BPL's online resources.
