Internet Resources Guide
Transcript of Internet Resources Guide
ENGLISH 202C: TECHNICAL WRITING
Internet Resource Guide Online Resources for the Penn State
Undergraduate Biomedical Engineering Student
Thomas Andrew Dougherty
2/12/2014
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Table of Contents
Preface ............................................................................................................................................................
Contents .................................................................................................................................................... 2
Audience .................................................................................................................................................... 2
Assumptions .............................................................................................................................................. 2
Organization ............................................................................................................................................. 3
Tips for using this Guide ............................................................................................................................ 3
Internet Resource Guide .................................................................................................................................
Professional Journals ...................................................................................................................................
Annals of Biomedical Engineering......................................................................................................... 4
Government Resources ...............................................................................................................................
Catalog of U.S. Government Publications ............................................................................................. 5
Statistical Abstract of the United States ............................................................................................... 6
General Internet Resources .........................................................................................................................
The Biomedical Engineering Society ..................................................................................................... 7
Biomedical News on IEEE Spectrum ..................................................................................................... 8
Penn State Department of Biomedical Engineering ............................................................................. 9
Penn State eCareer ............................................................................................................................. 10
Indexes to Periodical Literature ..................................................................................................................
Engineering Village Compendex ......................................................................................................... 11
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Preface
Contents: This guide is a collection of online resources that can assist readers in obtaining a variety of
technical information related to the expanding field of Biomedical Engineering. Resources in
this guide can range anywhere from a professional, research-based journal all the way to a
scientific news website including articles about the most groundbreaking biomedical
advancements of the week, month, or year. Students can pursue employment information
from a variety of medical device and pharmaceutical companies, or simply seek help on their
current homework assignment. In providing such a widespread distribution of resources and
knowledge, this guide can provide undergraduate students with a variety of tools that they
will be able to use throughout their upcoming careers.
Audience: Those who intend to benefit from this resource and all of its accompanying information
should have at least a basic foundational knowledge of the healthcare industry, but this is not
required. While some of the resources presented in this guide do go into depth on advanced
biomedical technologies, there are also many resources included that require very minimal
background knowledge. In this way, upperclassmen undergraduate students can focus on
some of the more complex topics, while freshman and sophomore students can work their
way up to this material. Generally, this guide is catered toward undergraduate students
attending the Pennsylvania State University who have an interest in the biomedical
engineering field.
Assumptions: Readers are assumed to have a basic knowledge on how to navigate the internet. This
knowledge includes clicking on URLs and navigating the various sources by using search
tools and menu options. Aside from this, readers are expected to have a basic
understanding of the engineering field, specifically biomedical engineering. These
resources included are not included so that readers can fully understand all of the
concepts discussed; however, readers should learn from the resources and become
motivated to learn even more. A final assumption is that, for some of these resources, the
reader has obtained a license to view the materials enclosed (for Penn State students this
is not an issue since they are granted access through the university).
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Organization: This guide begins with a Table of Contents on page 1 that provides the basic framework
for this document, including the page numbers where the abstract of each resource is
located. The main forms of resources in this guide are Professional Journals, Government
Resources, Indexes to Periodical Literature, and General Internet Resources. Each
abstract includes the link of the resource, a “Reasons to use this Resource” section, a
general description of the resource, and a “Tips” section.
Tips for using this Guide: In order to get the most out of this Internet Resources Guide, be sure to;
Utilize the Table of Contents provided on page 1 of this guide to effectively and
efficiently find specific sources of information that pertain to you
Prior to reading the full abstract for a resource, look at the “Reasons to Use this
Resource” section at the beginning of each description in order to gauge the potential
usefulness of this source
Read the “Tips” section at the end of each description in order to take full advantage of
each resource
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Internet Resource Guide
Professional Journals
Annals of Biomedical Engineering
http://www.springer.com/biomed/journal/10439
Reasons to use this Resource
Provides firsthand research conducted by leading members of the field
Lists valuable references at the end of each article
Journal has international reputation as being one of the most well-respected sources of
knowledge in the biomedical engineering community
Description
This professional journal is the premier source of knowledge for cutting edge research in the field of
biomedical engineering. It is the official journal of the Biomedical Engineering Society which (as is
discussed in the General Internet Resources section) is an international society dedicated to advancing
human health through engineering and technology. The journal is a collection of online research articles
that have been submitted by leading researchers, reviewed by the editorial board, and finally published.
Each article begins with an abstract that summarizes the main motives and findings of the study, and
then delves deep into the experimental observations. At the end of each article is a References section
that opens the door to further information, information which the researchers actually used and cited
throughout their study. While the content discussed in these articles can be very technical and
advanced, most junior and senior undergraduate students should have had at least some exposure to
the terminology being used. Students can use the information presented in this journal for potential
graduate thesis topics, or simply to stay up to date with the most current biomedical research. And with
over 42 volumes dating back to the year 1972, there is no shortage of information to obtain.
Tips
While the link provided above leads directly to the journal, Penn State students should search
for it through the Penn State library catalog in order to receive unlimited free access
Many articles include the emails of the researchers, so you can communicate with these leaders
of biomedical research
Many articles include over 30 reference links, so use these for more related information
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Internet Resource Guide
Government Resources
Catalog of U.S. Government Publications
http://catalog.gpo.gov/F
Reasons to use this Resource
Information from government organizations such as the National Institute of health can be
found through this catalog
Many of the publications found through this site are free to the general public
Federal laws and regulations regarding medical devices can be found using this resource
Description
The Catalog of U.S. Government Publications is comprised of various publications from the United States
federal government. Dating all the way back to July 1976, this resource has nearly 500,000 documents
available for the average person to access, with even more documents being added every day. Users can
search for publications by using a keyword, title, author, or subject, and additional specifications can be
made under the “Advanced” search tab. This U.S. government catalog is divided into several subset
catalogs: Congressional Serial Set, Congressional Publications, Historical Shelflist, Internet Publications,
and Serials. An undergraduate biomedical engineering student can benefit greatly from this resource
since the catalog allows them to learn about what federal laws have been issued on certain design
specifications for biomedical devices or pharmaceuticals. For example, when “medical devices” is
searched for under the Congressional Publications subset, 77 records are listed with one specific
publication titled “The impact of medical device and drug regulation on innovation, jobs, and patients”.
If a student deemed this source helpful, all they would have to do is add it to a “Bookshelf” feature and
it would be saved there permanently.
Tips
Make sure to save documents that you intend to view later under the “Bookshelf” tab
Use a specific search catalog (such as Historical Shelflist) to greatly narrow down a search
Try to be as specific as possible when searching for a specific document, i.e. using quotation
marks around a specific phrase that is found in the document
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Internet Resource Guide
Government Resources
Statistical Abstract of the United States
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/
Reasons to use this Resource
Allows students to prepare for future by revealing statistics on how many people directly enter
industry as opposed to how many attend graduate school
Data can be accessed from previous years, so growth of the field can be revealed
Description
The Statistical Abstract of the United States is a standard summary of statistics on the social, political,
and economic organization of the United States, and it is regarded as the authoritative source for this
information. The abstract has been published since the year 1878, and it is updated each and every year.
Individual statistical data is grouped among various “Browse Sections”, which are displayed in a column
along the left-hand side of the website’s interface. Some example categories include Population,
Agriculture, and Manufacture. Statistical information can also be manually searched using the “Search”
function located on the top right-hand corner of the webpage. Much of the data on this site has been
collected by various government agencies including the Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics;
however, private organizations are also responsible for some of the information included. A biomedical
engineering student could really find some of this statistical data useful, especially information on
employment and research in various engineering and healthcare fields. For example, under the “Health
and Nutrition” category, the subcategory “Health Risk Factors” could provide a great starting point for
research on various diseases and how to effectively design devices to combat them.
Tips
Data abstracts can be viewed in either Microsoft Excel or pdf format, so choose the most useful
for your needs
Remember to select from different categories to simplify search
Select “Earlier Editions” along the top of the page to view abstracts from previous years
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Internet Resource Guide
General Internet Resources
The Biomedical Engineering Society
http://bmes.org/
Reasons to use this Resource
Students can connect to a widespread biomedical engineering community
Allows members to post their resumes and search for jobs through a “Career Connections”
section
Information for local industry and student chapter is provided so that members can meet face-
to-face with small subsets of the society
Description
This resource is the main website for the Biomedical Engineering Society, or BMES. It contains a wealth
of information on the biomedical engineering community, and invites visitors of the site to join the
society and become a lifelong member. The mission statement for the group states that “the Mission of
the BMES is to build and support the biomedical engineering community, locally, nationally and
internationally, with activities designed to communicate recent advances, discoveries, and inventions;
promote education and professional development; and integrate the perspectives of the academic,
medical, governmental, and business sectors.” This site contains a lot of resources including access to
biomedical engineering-specific journals (including Annals of Biomedical Engineering described above),
career connections, blogs and online news bulletins, and online learning. The amount and variety of
information on this page makes it a valuable resource for undergraduate students since it provides an
easy way for them to become exposed to the biomedical engineering community.
Tips
Simply spend a lot of time exploring the site; there is much information to absorb
Follow the society on Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube by clicking on “News/Pressroom” at the
top looking at the right-hand side of the page
View the calendar of BMES events by clicking on ”Calendar” at the top right-hand side of the
webpage
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Internet Resource Guide
General Internet Resources
Biomedical News on IEEE Spectrum
http://spectrum.ieee.org/biomedical
Reasons to use this Resource
Most articles include the names of the researchers whom conducted the studies, so their other
work can be traced down
Has an online news article “format” that most internet users are well versed in maneuvering
around
A vast array of biomedical advances are covered
Description
This resource is an online version of the world’s leading engineering magazine, IEEE Spectrum, which
reveals some of the most groundbreaking current advances in various disciplines including biomedical
engineering. The biomedical section of this site is reached from the homepage by clicking on the
“Topics” tab at the top of the interface and then clicking “Biomedical”, or by simply clicking on the link
above. After this page is reached, articles can be sorted by most recent, amount of views, or number of
user comments. A wide range of topics are covered throughout this resource, from various medical
devices to the effects of different diets on the body. Various subtopics, including “Bionics” and
“Imaging”, can be accessed at the top of the page in order to narrow down this range of information.
Articles included on this site focus on succinctly relaying information to the reader, and they have a far
less academic tone than some of the other resources discussed in this guide. Because of this, newer
undergraduate biomedical students would most likely find this source helpful since it does not delve too
deep into complex ideas; rather it simply touches the surface of many current biomedical advances.
Tips
Make use of the various subtopics that are listed in order to narrow down articles
At the end of each article is a “Learn More” section where you can find related articles on the
related topics
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Internet Resource Guide
General Internet Resources
Penn State Department of Biomedical Engineering
http://www.bioe.psu.edu/
Reasons to use this Resource
Is the principle source for knowledge on the Penn State Department of Biomedical Engineering
Provides contact information for researchers and advisors
Includes necessary curriculum for both undergraduate and graduate students at Penn State
Description
This resource is the main website for the Department of Biomedical Engineering in the College of
Engineering at the Pennsylvania State University. It highlights the various activities of the Department of
Biomedical Engineering and Intercollege Graduate Degree Program. Some of these activities include
both undergraduate and graduate curricula, areas of research, upcoming seminars, internships, clubs,
and many more. The website is neatly laid out with the top panel consisting of the following tabs: Home,
Undergraduate Students, Graduate Students, Researchers, Industry, Alumni, and Safety. After a specific
tab is selected, a column of links along the left-hand side of the webpage consists of different
subsections within that given section. Overall, this resource is essential for Penn State students, faculty,
researchers, funding and industry organizations, and alumni who are interested in learning about the
most recent updates for the departments. For undergraduate student specifically, this resource would
be essential for scheduling information and faculty contacts, as well as many more reasons.
Tips
This site is connected to the general Penn State website, so use the “Search” panel at the top
right-hand corner of the webpage in order to navigate to other Penn State departments and
locations
The undergraduate tab will most likely be used most for undergraduate students, but also be
sure to click on the graduate tab to learn more about potential future opportunities
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Internet Resource Guide
General Internet Resources
Penn State eCareer
https://eng-psu-csm.symplicity.com/students/
Reasons to use this Resource
Efficient way to search for internships, co-ops, full-time positions, and research opportunities
Description
This resource is a career services website, which is provided by the Pennsylvania State University’s
Career Services. This website is specifically designed for Penn State students, both at the undergraduate
and graduate level, to be able to post their resumes, cover letters, and any other necessary documents
and have them reviewed by a Career Services representative. Students are encouraged to create a
personal profile, which includes both academic and personal information. After resumes and other
documents have been approved by a representative, students can utilize the job searching features of
the site to locate internships, co-ops, full-time jobs, and research positions for both national and
international organizations. These features include direct job postings by various companies related to a
student’s major as well as upcoming interviews or information sessions coming to campus. All of these
events are organized under the “Calendar” tab on the top of the webpage, and applications for positions
can be directly submitted via either the “Jobs” or “Interviews” tabs. Clearly, this resource is absolutely
critical for Penn State undergraduate biomedical engineering students, as it allows them to search for
various positions and, hopefully, secure a future job.
Tips
Students must develop a profile with this website before any of its functions can be utilized (a
username and password must be created)
Advanced searches are available so that only the most relevant positions are returned
Make sure to constantly update all documents before submitting them to companies
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Internet Resource Guide
Indexes to Periodical Literature
Engineering Village Compendex
http://www.engineeringvillage.com/search/quick.url
Reasons to use this Resource
Contains an extensive range of information across numerous engineering disciplines
Information can be used for scholarly purposes, or to obtain business and economic reports on
the biomedical industry
Description
This resource is an index to periodical literature that searches for various engineering journals based on
the input search criteria. It contains a vast expanse of journals, conferences, and trade publications
dating back to the year 1884. When it was first established, the Engineering Village Compendex was
instead called the Engineering Index, and its materials were assembled by hand. Nowadays, the index
contains over 15 million records, with nearly 1 million records now added annually. Searches for specific
materials can either be conducted through a “Quick Search”, an “Expert Search”, or a “Thesaurus
Search”, or they can also be browsed by author, publisher, language, document type, and many more by
utilizing the right-hand column of the webpage. This index searches through many different engineering
disciplines, but proper search criteria can yield materials for that are biomedical engineering specific.
Undergraduate Students can make great use of the incredible array of information that can be obtained
from this index, and they can apply this information to their studies.
Tips
Individual materials can be saved for future use under the “Selected Records” tab at the top of
the webpage, so make sure to utilize this helpgul feature
Use the preview feature before loading an entire document so that time spent searching for
materials is reduced
Make sure to access this resource through the Penn State libraries website so that it is free to
use (it is listed under “Databases” on the library webpage)