INSPEC
 
AVAILABILITY

	This database is available as part of the VIRGO databases, on
	OCLC Firstsearch, on WinSPIRS, and on the Dialog database system
	as file #2.
 
COVERAGE

	All versions of this database cover publications from 1969 to the
	present.  Includes bibliographic and abstract information from 
	scientific and technical journals and conference proceedings in 
	physics, electrical engineering and electronics, computing and 
	control, and information technology. The database is updated weekly.
	It is produced by the Institution of Electrical Engineers, London,
	in association with FIZ Karlsruhe.  INSPEC is the online analog to
	Physics Abstracts, Electrical and Electronic Abstracts, and Computer
	and Control Abstracts, all of which the library owns in print form
	for various years, some earlier than INSPEC.
 
WHEN TO USE THIS DATABASE

	The obvious uses for this database include questions relating to
	physics, electrical and electronics engineering, computer science,
	and control science.  INSPEC, however, ranges far beyond these core
	disciplines, in part because all of them touch on many others in
	various ways.  Most engineering disciplines now use or employ 
	some form of electronics or computers, so you will find titles
	relevant to civil engineering, materials science, and aeronautics
	in INSPEC to name a few.  The relationship of astronomy with physics
	also means that INSPEC is a useful database for locating certain
	kinds of astronomical information.  Even seemingly unrelated topics
	such as economics and cost accounting turn up long lists of hits.
	INSPEC is probably second only to Compendex in coverage of 
	engineering topics--and indeed goes back more years than the WWW
	version of Compendex currently does.  A thorough search for
	engineering information should probably include both databases.
 
SEARCH TIPS

	Since INSPEC appears in a number of forms in a number of different
        places, providing search tips for all of them is difficult.
        Your best strategy is to take time to read the help screens 
        for whichever version of the database you are using and act
        accordingly.

	Chemical compounds are listed in INSPEC using a specific and
	sometimes arcane methodology; for example, the chemical formula
	for water is shown as H/sub 2/O.  For this reason, if you are
	searching for a specific compound, you should probably use the
	database's wordlist function to locate the proper syntax, which
	can then be cut-and-pasted into your search.

	You can search for conference information by location, as well as
	by subject and/or title.  For example, you could locate a conference
	held in Germany on the subject of the ASCII code system like this:
	cl:germany and su:ascii

	Many other search qualifiers are available.  Consult the online
	help for the version of INSPEC you are using for further information.
 
Fred O'Bryant
Revised
November 11, 1998