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Resources in the Atmospheric Sciences

A Guide to Selected Research Tools

 

The Library Catalog - MadCat

Search MadCat for books, government reports, journal titles and their locations on campus. You may view your library record and course reserves, request books from campus libraries, place interlibrary loan requests, e-mail or print search results. You will not find journal articles or the contents of books (specific chapters) listed in MadCat -- find them in an appropriate database, then search for their titles in MadCat.

If you are looking for a specific title and are unable to find it in MadCat, contact the Library and we will check our holdings for you. Many, but not all, periodicals held by the Schwerdtfeger Library in MadCat.

For additional help, consult these guides:

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Finding Journal Articles

The UW-Madison Libraries have licensed many databases for your use. Those containing literature related to the atmospheric sciences are selectively listed below, with the best meteorology-related files listed toward the top. Once you find specific articles you'd like to read, search for the journal titles in MadCat to determine which libraries on campus have them or use the Find It button within the record to locate full-text journal articles.

Meteorological and Geoastrophysical Abstracts July 1974 - to date (updated monthly) The primary database for the atmospheric sciences, MGA covers meteorology, climatology, physical oceanography, hydrology, glaciology, remote sensing, atmospheric chemistry and physics. You'll find journal articles, conference proceedings, books and chapters within books, reports, etc. Includes abstracts. **Consult the print version of Meteorological and Geoastrophysical Abstracts when searching pre-1974.
Web of Science 1970 - to date (updated weekly) Known for its meticulous indexing of peer-reviewed journal literature, Web of Science is a combination of three databases -- you should select Science Citation Index Expanded.  You will not find government reports, dissertations, etc. Use Science Citation Index to do cited reference searching -- to find out who cited a particular author or paper, how many times it was cited, and link to complete list of the cited references.  You can also do general subject or author searching. Includes abstracts.
NTIS Bibliographic Index 1964 - to date (updated quarterly) The National Technical Information Service (NTIS) contains descriptions of U.S. government-sponsored, science and technology research from agencies such as DOD, DOE, DOT, EPA, and NASA. It covers work in the fields of astronomy, atmospheric science, biotechnology, computers, energy, engineering, environment, etc.  You'll find reports on contracts and grants, technical memoranda, technical reports, dissertations, etc. Includes abstracts.
INSPEC 1969 - to date (updated monthly) INSPEC (Information Services for the Physics and Engineering Communities) covers the fields of physics, electrical engineering, electronics, telecommunications, computers, etc. You'll find journal articles, conference papers, significant books, technical reports and dissertations. Includes abstracts. **Consult Computer and Control Abstracts, Science Abstracts Series A:  Physics Abstracts and Science Abstracts Series B: Electrical and Electronics Abstracts in print when searching pre-1969.
GEOREF 1785 - to date (updated bimonthly) GEOREF indexes the earth sciences literature of the world. In it, you'll find journal articles, conference papers, maps, reports, guidebooks, theses and some monographs.  Includes abstracts. 
Oceanic Abstracts 1984 – to date (updated monthly) Oceanic Abstracts is the premier database for marine resources, abstracting nearly 500 journals. This database covers marine biology and physical oceanography, fisheries, aquaculture, non-living resources, meteorology and geology, plus environmental, technological, and legislative topics.
High Technology Research Database with Aerospace 1962 - to date (biweekly) Covers research in the areas of aeronautics, astronautics, computer technology, electronics, space sciences, atmospheric sciences. Good international coverage.
Conference Papers Index 1982 - to date (updated bimonthly) Provides citations to papers and poster sessions presented at major scientific meetings around the world.
Google and Google Scholar Search for scientific literature with results ranked by relevancy. Read About Google Scholar for more information on content and coverage. See Google's Advanced Search page to limit searches to link, title or domain. For more in-depth information, subject-specific databases (listed above) are highly recommended.

For additional help, consult these guides:

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Electronic Journals

Electronic Journals - Atmospheric and Space Science
A list of full-text, electronic journals to which the campus libraries have provided licensed access. Includes link to entire campus e-journal list .

Current Contents
A weekly compilation of the tables-of-contents of journals in meteorology and related fields. Links to full-text articles are provided where licensing allows.  Available only to the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences and the Space Science and Engineering Center.

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Finding Government Documents

NTIS Bibliographic Index 1964 - to date (updated quarterly) The National Technical Information Service contains descriptions of U.S. government-sponsored, science and technology research from agencies such as DOD, DOE, DOT, EPA, and NASA. It covers work in the fields of astronomy, atmospheric science, biotechnology, computers, energy, engineering, environment, etc.  You'll find reports on contracts and grants, technical memoranda, technical reports, dissertations, etc. Includes abstracts.
GrayLIT Network: a science portal of technical reports 1960 - to date (updates vary) The GrayLIT Network is a portal for technical report information generated through federally funded research and development projects of the Department of Energy, Defense Technical Information Service (DTIC), NASA, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Many documents available as full-text./td>
DOE Information Bridge 1996 - to date (updated daily) The DOE Information Bridge provides access to Department of Energy research and development reports in physics, chemistry, materials, biology, environmental sciences, energy technologies, engineering, computer and information science, renewable energy, and other topics. Includes the full-text and bibliographic records of Department of Energy-sponsored report literature, more than 30,000 reports."
NODIS: NASA Online Directives Information System   NASA Policy Directives (current and cancelled), with links to CFR's, Executive Orders, FMM, Standards, and more.
NASA CASI Technical Report Server (updated weekly) "The NASA CASI TRS (Center for Information Technical Report Server) database contains more than 2.2 million citations and abstracts for publicly available documents, journal articles, and conference proceedings."
Air Force e-Publishing   "The official source site for Air Force administrative publications and forms."

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Finding Dissertations

The following databases are good places to start when searching for dissertations. Once you find the information for the dissertation you need, check MadCat to see if there is a copy on campus. If not, contact library staff, who can help you obtain a paper or, in some instances, an electronic copy of the work

MadCat   MadCat is the main resource for locating UW-Madison dissertations and masters theses. The Schwerdtfeger Library holds masters theses and dissertations for the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences in addition to those at Memorial Library.
Proquest Dissertations & Theses 1861 - to date Proquest Dissertations and Theses includes doctoral dissertations in all subject areas completed at North American accredited institutions. Some masters theses and foreign language dissertations are also included. Orders for complete dissertations may be placed online, but check MadCat first to see if they are owned on campus. Free interlibrary loan may also be a possibility.
Current Research @ UW-Madison 1892 - to date Current Research indexes all dissertations completed at UW-Madison that are in the ProQuest Digital Dissertations database. Dissertations produced after 1996 have 24-page previews, and one can download the full text of those dissertations. Masters theses are not included.
Current Research @ CIC Institutions (click on "Databases selected") 1892 - to date Current Research indexes dissertations completed at Big Ten schools. Those produced after 1996 have 24-page previews.
Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations 1997 - to date "An international organization dedicated to promoting the adoption, creation, use, dissemination and preservation of electronic analogues to traditional paper-based theses and dissertations." Search the entire catalog or go to individual member sites.
Theses Canada 1965 - to date Locate a thesis in Library and Archives Canada, with full-text available for the period 1998-2002.
Index to Theses with Abstracts Accepted for Higher Degrees by the Universities of Great Britain and Ireland 1970 - to date (updated bimonthly) This is the primary index to dissertations submitted a for higher degree in United Kingdom and Irish universities. Abstracts are included.
CRL Foreign Doctoral Dissertations 1890 - This database contains records for over 20,000 doctoral dissertations in the Center for Research Libraries collection, from institutions in countries other than the United States and Canada. Records consist of basic bibliographic information (author, title, institution, country, etc.); no abstracts are included. Most titles available through interlibrary loan.

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Reference Resources - Print and Electronic

Academic Press Dictionary of Science and Technology Edited by Christopher Morris. San Diego, Academic Press, 1992. Q/123/A33/1992 (Schwerdtfeger Library) One of the largest collected reference works on the vocabulary of science.
All That JAS: Journal Abbreviation Sources Current (updates vary). All That JAS is a categorized registry of 123 Web resources that list or provide access to the full title of journal abbreviations or other types of abbreviated publication titles (example: conference proceedings titles). All That JAS includes select lists and directories that provide access to the unabbreviated titles of serial publications. This resource was developed by the Iowa State University Library and is open to everyone.
American Meteorological Society Journal abbreviations can be found in Appendix C of their Author's Guide. Appendix C is a list of commonly cited journals and the accepted abbreviation form for each title. A more complete listing of journal abbreviations is available in the Chemical Abstracts Core Journals which serves as the standard reference for AMS publications for any journal not listed in Appendix C. A complete guide to reference formats is provided in the AMS Guidelines for Preparing References.
Citation Guides American Meteorological Society, American Geophysical Union, American Institute of Physics, Internet Citation Guides (UW-Madison), Citing References in Your Paper (Writing Center, UW-Madison)
Climate Data Sources By The Schwerdtfeger Library.
Includes: Local, regional and U.S. climate information, global climate information, climate offices and centers, and links to related resources.
Compendium of Meteorology Edited by Thomas F. Malone. Boston, MA, American Meteorological Society, 1951. QC/852/A5/REF (Schwerdtfeger Library)
Copyright Law and Graduate Research By Kenneth Crews.
"Although this guide focuses on doctoral dissertations, its principles extend as well to master's theses and many other works. Much of this work also examines the fundamentals of copyright; the information presented here ought to be useful for seasoned researchers needing a succinct overview or refresher as they prepare new works from journal articles to multimedia projects."
Curricula in the Atmospheric, Oceanic, Hydrologic, and Related Sciences (2003) A joint publication of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) and the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR).
Includes: alphabetical index of universities and colleges, by degree offered, by state and by UCAR membership.  University/college listings include information on degree and course offerings, faculty research interests, titles of theses and dissertations completed, types of financial support available, titles and amounts of research grants and contracts in effect.
Encyclopedia of the Atmospheric Environment By Atmosphere, Climate & Environment Information Programme of Manchester Metropolitan University (UK). Contains: encyclopedic entries on a range of atmospheric issues including air quality, acid rain, global warming and ozone depletion.
Encyclopedia of Climate and Weather Edited by Stephen H. Schneider. New York, Oxford University Press, 1996. 2 volumes. QC/854/E523/1996/REF (Schwerdtfeger Library)
Glossary of Meteorology Edited by Todd S. Glickman.  Boston, American Meteorological Society, 2000  QC/854/G55/2000/REF (Schwerdtfeger Library).
Defines meteorological terms found in the literature today.
Handbook of Weather, Climate, and Water: Atmospehric Chemistry, Hydrology, and Societal Impacts Edited by Thomas D. Potter and Bradley R. Colman. Hoboken, NJ, Wiley-Interscience, 2003. QC/861.2/P67/2003/REF (Schwerdtfeger Library).
Handbook of Weather, Climate, and Water: Dynamics, Climate, Physical Meteorology, Weather Systems, and Measurements Edited by Thomas D. Potter and Bradley R. Colman. Hoboken, NJ, Wiley-Interscience, 2003. QC/880/H34/2003/REF (Schwerdtfeger Library)
International Meteorological Vocabulary 2nd edition. Geneva, World Meteorological Organization, 1992. WMO No.182/REF (Schwerdtfegar Library)
Resources for Authors Publishing in AMS Journals By the American Meteorological Society.
Includes: Journal editors' homepages, AMS Guidelines for Preparing References, Authors' Guide, Copyright policy and forms, Sample letter asking permission to use figures, tables, etc.
Science Next Wave Career Resources for Scientists --  the weekly on-line publication devoted to scientific training and career development, provides global news, profiles of emerging careers, and advice from experts and role models drawn from the international scientific community. Includes access to Science Magazine.
Standards, Specifications and Regulations By The Schwerdtfeger Library
Includes: Schwerdtfeger Library Standards Database, finding and purchasing standards, standards issuing organizations, regulations. Some standards may also be found in MadCat, though it is important to check for the current version.
Weather America:  A Thirty-Year Summary of Statistical Weather Data & Rankings Edited by David Garoogian.  2nd edition. Lakeville, CT, Grey House Publishing, 2001. QC/983/W385/2000/REF. (Schwerdtfeger Library)
Includes: National weather stations, cooperative weather stations, major storm events, weather rankings, maps, state climate descriptions, weather stations descriptions, weather information resources.

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