Computer Science

Reference Sources | Computer Science Journals | Indexes and Databases
Locating Full Text of Journal Articles | Selected Internet Sites
Guide to Library Research in Science | Need Help?

This page describes a few of the many print and electronic resources that will be useful for research in computer science.

Reference Sources

Encyclopedias and Dictionaries | Handbooks | Bibliographies

Reference sources are helpful in locating many types of specific information. They may provide a brief definition of an unfamiliar term, a more in-depth summary of a concept, or a comprehensive treatment of a subject. Some provide statistical information or physical data in the form of tables, graphs, and charts. Some biographical sources provide basic directory information about an individual scientist while others provide details about his or her life and contribution to science. Many reference sources serve as tools for accessing more information about a topic. The Timken Science Library has many reference sources that will be useful for locating information in each of the science disciplines.

The following is a list of sources relevant to computer science. For a more extensive database of science reference sources available at the College, see Selected Bibliography of Science Reference Sources.

Encyclopedias and Dictionaries

AccessScience@McGraw-Hill: The Online Encyclopedia: This is the electronic access version of McGraw-Hill’s Encyclopedia of Science and Technology WOO Science Reference Q121 .M3 2002 v.1-20, a highly technical encyclopedia in the sciences. In the Web environment the database provides full search capabilities, regular updates, science and technology news, recent research developments, an online dictionary and a well-developed subject directory of web links.
The Computer Desktop Encyclopedia WOO Science Reference QA76.15 .F732 1999: The purpose of this illustrated encyclopedia is “to provide a meaningful definition of every computer concept, term, and keyword used in the world of computers from micro to mainframe.”
Encyclopedia of Computer Science WOO Science Reference QA76.15 .E48 2000: Defines and explains terms, phrases, and theories involved in the field of computer science.
Encyclopedia of New Media WOO Science Reference QA76.575 .E5368 2003: This encyclopedia collects information about the people, places, ideas and technology of the new media. It is arranged alphabetically and access is enhanced by the list of entries, a reader’s guide to related articles in 12 thematic categories, a name index and a comprehensive index. A selected bibliography guides readers to more information.
Encyclopedia of Physical Science and Technology WOO Science Reference Q123 .E497 2002 v.1-18: The purpose of this 18-volume encyclopedia is to provide university and professional level coverage of every facet of the physical sciences and technology. “Each article includes a Title and Author, Outline, Glossary, Defining Statement, Main Body of the Article, Cross References and Bibliography. The separate Index includes a complete Table of Contents, a Contents by Subject Area, a Relational Index, which presents groupings of related articles, and a detailed Subject Index.” — Preface
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms WOO Science Reference Q123 .M15 2003: This dictionary is intended for the scientific and engineering specialist as well as for the “nonspecialist needing a comprehensive yet accessible resource for scientific terminology.” It includes 110,000 terms with 125,000 definitions, each of which is identified by its field of use. — Preface
Encyclopedia of Operations Research and Management Science WOO Science Reference T57.6 .E53 1996: This book provides an overview of the “ideas, methodologies and synergistic forces that combine to form the preeminent decision-aiding fields of operations research and management science.” Articles provide background and historical information, applications, trends and references.
McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Networking and Telecommunications WOO Science Reference TK5102 .S48 2001: Provides quick references and summaries of the latest networking topics, as well as historical perspective. Each article provides cross-references to related entries in the text as well as URLs to related Web sites. The text is accompanied by a CD-ROM which contains the full text of the book, as well as a complete set of hyperlinks to related Web sites. In addition, the associated Linktionary Web site contains extended versions of the topics covered in the text, along with updated information, reader comments, fixes for broken Web links and new Web links.

Handbooks

Handbook of Mathematics and Computational Science WOO Science Reference QA40 .S76 1998: This handbook provides a reference guide for rapid access to mathematical information and the basics of computer science. It contains tables of functions, formulae, transformation, and series. It also includes definitions of important words, useful examples and practical applications, and sample programming sequences.
Handbook of Combinatorics WOO Science Reference QA164 .H33 1995 v.1-2: This two-volume handbook presents a “comprehensive and accessible view of the present state of the field” of combinatorics for mathematicians and computer scientists. — Preface. The Handbook is divided into five sections: Structures, Aspects, Method, Applications, and Horizons.
Handbook of Discrete and Combinatorial Mathematics WOO Science Reference QA164 .H36 2000: This handbook provides a ready reference source for computer scientists, engineers, and mathematicians who use information about discrete and combinatorial mathematics in their work. Topic areas covered include logic and set theory, abstract algebra, discrete probability theory, graph theory, combinatorial design, coding theory and cryptography, and automata theory.
Digital Color Imaging Handbook WOO Science Reference TA1637 .D49 2003: The goal of this handbook is to present aspects of the diverse elements of digital color imaging — physics, visual science, chemistry, psychology, computational algorithms, systems engineering and mathematical optimization — in a single, concise compilation.
Electronic Instrument Handbook WOO Science Reference TK7878.4 .E55 2000: Provides descriptions of the technology and functioning of electronic instrumentation including discussions on how software, computers, and networks work together with standard hardware.

Bibliographies

Computer Science and Computing WOO Science Reference QA76 .K52 2006: This guide to the literature highlights the resources and tools that provide access to computing and computer science information.
The Theory and Criticism of Virtual Texts: An Annotated Bibliography, 1988-1999 WOO Science Reference QA76.9 .H85 H39 2001: “This annotated bibliography explores the history, theory, and criticism of virtual texts and offers an interpretive framework for understanding the complex structural changes brought about during the last twelve years (1988-1999) by the emergence of the Internet as the dominant mode of global communication.”

Computer Science Journals

Scholarly journals are usually considered the most important primary source of information in the sciences. The three major functions of scientific communication are establishing intellectual property, evaluating work through the peer-review process, and serving as a vehicle for disseminating information.

The ACM Digital Library: Available to OhioLINK members via the ACM Portal, this is a full-text collection of every article published by the Association for Computing Machinery, including 50 years of archives. The collection includes journals, magazines, transactions, proceedings, newsletters, publications of special interest groups, and publications of affiliated organizations.

Other journals and magazines of interest to computer science students include:

Indexes and Databases

Print and electronic indexes and abstracts provide access to the enormous quantity of science information published in widely-dispersed primary scientific literature found in journal articles. The libraries’ Databases by Title page provides access to all databases available to the college community. Online help is available within each search system and database. In addition to General Databases, there are many databases that focus entirely on the sciences. Selected Databases for Research in Science provides descriptions of the science-related databases. Indexes and databases that are especially useful for locating information in computer science include:

Academic Search Complete [EBSCOhost]: This database provides indexing/abstracts to more than 4360 scholarly journals, popular magazines and journals of commentary. It offers full text access to more than 3430 of those publications/journals covering a wide variety of academic areas of study, including social sciences, humanities, education, computer sciences, engineering, language and linguistics, arts and literature, medical sciences, and ethnic studies. This database is updated on a daily basis. Coverage is from the early 1970s to the present.
ACM Guide to Computing Literature [ACM] (1985 to present): Available to OhioLINK members through the ACM Portal, this database is a collection of bibliographic citations and abstracts from more than 3000 publishers, including the Association for Computing Machinery. In addition to bibliographic information, records include abstracts, cited and citing references, and indexing terms from ACM’s Computing Classification System (CCS).
ArticleFirst [FirstSearch] (1990 to present): Indexes nearly 12,500 journals in science, technology, medicine, social science, business, the humanities and popular culture. Updated daily. Coverage is from 1990 to the present.
Safari Tech Books Online: Provides full-text access to books in science, technology and medicine from the premier information technology publishers O’Reilly & Associates, Inc. and the Pearson Technology Group. Individual titles are listed in the CONSORT catalog.
Compendex [OSearch] (1969 to present) Compendex Historical (1884-1968): This database contains more than 1.7 million abstracts and full bibliographic citations for worldwide engineering and technical literature and encompasses all engineering disciplines, as well as related fields in science and management. It includes journal articles, conference proceedings and individual conference papers, technical reports, monographs and other materials. The database indexes more than 2600 published journals. Updated monthly.
Computers and Applied Sciences Complete: This database provides indexing for more than 1,300 academic journals, professional publications and other reference sources in subject areas related to the many engineering disciplines, computer theory and systems, new technologies, and the business and social implications of those technologies. Full text is available for more than 500 periodicals.
INSPEC [OSearch] (1969 to present) INSPEC Archive (1898-1968): Covers the literature of physics, electrical engineering and electronics, computing and control, and information technology. Also covers oceanography, geophysics, biomedical engineering and biophysics. Indexes more than 4000 journals, conference proceedings, books, reports and dissertations.
MathSciNet [AMS] (1940 to present): MathSciNet is the searchable Web database providing access to bibliographic information and reviews of articles, books and conference proceedings that contain new contributions to mathematical research. Coverage is from 1940 to the present.
Science Citation Index Expanded [ISI] (1980 to present): This multidisciplinary database covering the journal literature of science provides basic subject and author searching as well as cited reference searching. This feature is useful because it allows you to search the database for articles that cite a known author or work. SCI, one of three databases in ISI’s Web of Science, indexes more than 5700 major journals across 164 scientific disciplines from 1980 to the present.
OhioLINK Electronic Journals Center [OSearch]: The Search function of OhioLINK EJC permits users to search the current OhioLINK database of electronic journals, including titles from Academic Press, American Chemical Society, American Physical Society, Elsevier Science, Institute of Physics, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Royal Society of Chemistry, Springer-Verlag, Wiley and other publishers. (NOTE: Using the OhioLINK EJC search function only retrieves articles from journals available electronically through the EJC. While this may provide a good starting place, a comprehensive search usually requires use of one or more discipline-specific databases.)

Locating Full Text of Journal Articles

Once you have retrieved citations to relevant articles from print indexes and abstracts, electronic research databases, bibliographies and other sources, you will need to determine whether they are available at the College of Wooster. Many articles are available by linking from within an electronic database, but other articles may be available in print, microform or online that are not accessible by direct link from a database.

To determine whether the college has access to a particular journal title in any format, search by title from the Wooster e-Journals and Journals page. You may also browse a complete list of journal titles by subject category from the same page.

For a more detailed description of how to determine whether a journal article is available at Wooster, see Lesson 9: Finding Full Text of Journal Articles in the Guide to Library Research in Science.

Selected Internet Sites

Professional Organizations | Reference Sources | Pre-Prints/Technical Reports
Bibliography | Links to Other Computer Science Resources

Professional Organizations

American Association for Artificial Intelligence

The AAI is “a scientific society devoted to advancing the scientific understanding of the mechanisms underlying thought and intelligent behavior and their embodiment in machines.” The site contains information on AAAI publications, workshops, conferences and membership news. The AI Topics page provides access to basic information about artificial intelligence.

Association for Computing Machinery

The ACM is an educational and scientific computer society. The Web site contains membership information, descriptions of ACM publications, special interest groups and information on educational activities. It also provides access to the ACM Digital Library available at the College of Wooster by subscription through OhioLINK.

Computing Research Association

The CRA is an association of academic departments, laboratories and centers in industry, government and academia, and affiliated professional societies all striving to:

Strengthen research and education in computing fields;
Expand opportunities for women and minorities;
Improve understanding of the importance of computing and computing research in society. — CRA Home Page

IEEE Computer Society

The vision of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers is to be the “leading provider of technical information and services to the world’s computing professionals.” The site contains information on conferences, standards, publications, education, certification and employment.

Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics

The mission of SIAM is to advance the application of mathematics and computational science to engineering, industry, science and society. The site contains information about the membership, publications, conferences, activities and professional opportunities.

Reference Sources

Webopedia: This free, online dictionary provides definitions of words, phrases, and abbreviations related to computer and Internet technology. It is part of internet.com from INT Media Group, Inc.
The Turing Archive for the History of Computing: The Turing Archive for the History of Computing is a large collection of digital facsimiles of historical documents. The documents available for public viewing are divided into five subject areas: Turing’s Automatic Computing Engine, the DEUCE Computer, the Post Office MOSAIC Computer, the Manchester Computer, and Codebreaking in World War II. The Archive also contains reference articles on Turing’s work.

Pre-Prints/Technical Reports

The following sites provide online access to pre-prints and technical reports in computer science:

Bibliography

The Collection of Computer Science Bibliographies: This site provides access to a collection of bibliographies of scientific literature in computer science from journal articles, conference papers and technical reports. Many of the references contain cross-references to citing or cited publications and URLs to online versions of papers.

Links to Other Computer Science Resources

Librarian’s Index to the Internet: Computer Topics: The Librarians’ Index to the Internet is a searchable, annotated subject directory of Internet resources selected and evaluated by librarians. Sites are arranged by major categories (e.g., science, computers and technology) and then further subdivided. Each entry includes the title of the site and a description, the URL, subject classification, the creator of the record and the date of the most recent update.
The Virtual Library: Computing and Computer Science: This WWW Virtual Library site provides access to information on many fields of computing, including artificial intelligence, computer aided design, cryptography, programming languages and more.

Guide to Library Research in Science

In an increasingly complex information environment, it is important that individuals develop the ability to determine when and what kind of information is needed, and to locate, evaluate, and use it effectively. Science Librarian Donna Jacobs has prepared a Guide to Library Research in Science, which consists of several integrated lessons, to help you with each stage of your library research.

Need Help?

Donna Jacobs
Science Librarian
330/263-2390