Internet Resource Guide: Civil Engineering - Essay Example

? Internet Resource Guide: Civil Engineering Internet Resource Guide For freshmen and Sophomore Pursuing a Bsc inCivil Engineering What is in the Guide The scope of this guide includes a detailed explanation of how to use six different internet resources in the field of Civil Engineering. The guide is useful to freshmen students and those in the sophomore year. A Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering is a technical area and students taking this programme need necessary assistance for them to get ample time to concentrate on their studies. This guide will make the availability of learning resources to the students easier. Furthermore, the Civil Engineering discipline attracts very few students due to its technicality. However, once the guide is made public, interested students will feel comfortable to join Penn State University and pursue the degree. The contents of this guide include Electronic indices that include periodical literature in Civil Engineering and professional journals from renowned scholars in the Civil Engineering discipline. The guide gives a summary of the journals and describes in details the relevance of the journals to freshmen students and students in the sophomore year. The scope of this guide further includes enlisted government sites approved by Penn State University whose content is crucial to Civil Engineering students as professionals in the field laid it down. There are other internet sites in the guide that have been proposed for subtends and other individuals with interest in the field of Civil Engineering. It is definite that the information available in this guide will be helpful to the freshmen students and those in the sophomore year. The scope is broad and students who have problems in locating the internet resources will now find it easier as the guide is precise and elaborate. Students with interests of pursuing a Bachelors degree in this field and have fears over resources will be highly encouraged to join the course. Whom this guide is for This guide is prepared at Penn State University for students pursuing a Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering. It particularly aims at freshmen students and those in the sophomore year. Other students with interests in the field of Civil Engineering will find this guide very useful. Researchers in the Civil Engineering field will make use of this guide as a link to internet sites they deem necessary for use in their research. This being a guide to the internet resources, it will crucial to any other person with problems in searching for the appropriate sites that they need to get information and use. Beginners in the course who try to find ways of starting the degree in the right way will find this guide an indispensable partner throughout their stay in the course. The guide will be a remedy to their teething problems at the beginning of their research and studies. It should be remembered here that though the guide specifically targets fresh and sophomore students, the civil engineering knowledge is technical therefore, other students including continuing and finalists in the bachelors’ degree will have to use it. Knowledge and skills in technical areas is always interlinked. Information learned at the beginning of the course will remain relevant until the student comes to the end of his or her course. The guide because of this will be important to all the students in the course (Hido and Leon 123). Assumptions of the Guide The guide takes several presumptions among them those students pursuing the bachelors’ degree in Civil Engineering at Penn State University are full time learners. The guide assumes that having enrolled in a technical course and at that level; the students already have necessary computer skills to use the internet. This is because the guide is an internet resource and does not offer internet or computer skills. The guide is written from the perspective that the users do have the mandatory computer skills to use the internet and this offers an easy route to accessing the necessary internet resources. It assumed that the users of this guide could log in to the sites, switching browsers, opening multiple tabs and minimizing the windows. It also assumed that the users who mainly include freshmen students and those in the sophomore levels in addition to researchers are aware of what they need to research or study. The importance of the awareness is that the guide of the directions on how to access what the learner will be interested in researching. The guide does not direct the students and other users what to read, instead it directs the users how to access what they already know. The only gives way on how to get what they are aware of and want to use. The guide makes access to information easy and as such, it is a short cut. This means that users have to have knowledge of short keys to be used when the guide areas are to be applicable. However, the guide understands most users will be beginners; therefore, it is simple to read, understand and follow. The Layout of the Guide The guide contains articles, professional journals, periodical literatures reviews and electronic indices among other internet resources. These resources are organized in a sequence to give user ample time that is easy while going through their studies. The guide is organized with prior knowledge that this is a technical field and most users are freshmen students and those in the sophomore year. This guide is complete as it has all the necessary content and in detail. The guide is easy to use, as it has grouped the resources with related information. The relevant information to this discipline has been illustrated and very precise in the contents of the resource under discussion. Tips on how the students and other users should make use of this guide have been given just before the sources outlined in this guide are given. The sequence applied in this guide follows a chronology that takes the format of periodical literature, professional journals, government sites and the relevant internet sites. The last resources have been grouped categorically for clarity and easy follow up of the links. The resources have been clearly identified and they have been abstractly described (Flood 91). The purpose of this is to make the overall functions of the site known to the user at a glance, give the range of the areas covered in this area and show how crucial it is to the discipline of civil engineering. The guide consistently takes note that most of the users will be beginners therefore; they need easier routes to access the necessary information. The contents of the periodicals includes include current information on various topics to the students. Technological areas of study need a link between the past and present information. Usage Tips The guide is to be read with respect to the specific are of great interest. It should not be read as novel. This is because it contains different resources that are applicable in different topics so reading it at once in its entirety will not make sense. The user should be able to figure out the purpose of each resource, locating where it is applicable and go to the relevance area to see if it is linked to the particular topic of study. All the resources in this guide have been purposefully included. This understanding is important to the user. Each resource has several links attached to it. Therefore, the reader should explore fully each resource to avoid under using this guide. The user’s knowledge of the computer will applicable here, as the he or she will require using multiple tabs simultaneously to gather the necessary information. Links that seem not to be useful have to closed and the focus shifted to helpful ones only. In following this procedure, the students in the civil engineering discipline and other user will find this guide very useful. The article includes professional journals that are related to Penn State University therefore, user will need to have log in passwords to access this kind of information as directed by this resource guide. Finally, it is important for people using this guide to broaden their thoughts and scope of study. Limiting their studies on the use of this study will make their knowledge limited as using it along with other resources will be central to the success in their studies. The Civil Engineering Journals www.engineeringcivil.com/journals-and-magazines Students who are beginners in the Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and those in the second year will find this site the most useful in their studies. The sites have the most famous global magazines and journals. The journals available here include the ASCE Journal of infrastructure Systems. This journal covers the different methodologies applicable within the discipline. The methods cover evaluation criteria, monitoring aspects, along with those of repair, replacement, financing, expansion, and those that specifically address sustainable measures within the civil engineering infrastructure. The Canadian journal of civil engineering is also found here. This journal is produced twice every month. The Canadian Society for Civil Engineering publishes. Experienced civil engineers publish articles in various areas including mechanics, computer applications, structure, transportation, environmental and hydro-technical fields among many more. The Civil Engineering magazine that covers the most fresh civil engineering content in its magazines can also be found in this site. This is an online magazine published by professionals from the United States. This online magazine is an official publication of the American Association of Civil Engineers. The site does contain the civil engineering news online journals that have independent news for engineering projects, civil engineering consultant management companies, structures of rehabilitation, GPS that are used in surveying, and construction materials and methods used in public works. Freshmen students who study Civil Engineering may at one time during their course opt to specialize in concrete canoe projects, for such students, the site carries concrete canoe magazine that specifically focuses in this field of study. Geotechnical and geological engineering news journals are included in this site. They are international journals that involve complete information relating to geo-engineering where the rocks and soils are fully explored in addition to hydrogeology (Gander 142). When students follow the link to the engineering news records, they find directories, listings for architectures, contactors, engineers as well as other professionals related to the discipline of civil engineering. Contractors who specialize in grading and evacuation post their professional journals on this site referred to as the grading and evacuation contactor online. This journal covers areas including information in the construction industry and published by Forester Publishing Company. These resources are useful especially to students who may seek internships and attachments during their course of study and after completion. It is also in this site the users of this guide will get the direct link to the Institution of Civil Engineer’s Virtual Library. Through this site, students will access comprehensive civil engineering papers. The papers are diverse, cover all the areas in the discipline and stretch back to as far as eighteen hundred and thirty-six. Other journals include roads and bridges magazines, observer newsletters, journals that cover current methods within the discipline, Thomas Telford Journals and journals whose content is relevant in the drilling and hydraulic research. Tips on using this source It is important for the learner to know his or her exact area of exploration before embarking on using this resource. The resource has various topics that range from current to past. There are papers that stretch back to eighteen hundred and thirty-six. This shows that the resource carries a lot of information. The user should identify the total number of resources he or she needs to use then go through the available resources before selecting the most appropriate for him. Since the target group of this guide is mainly freshmen and the students in their second year, most of their study covers the introductory elements of topics that are covered. They therefore, do not need to dig deep into these sources. There are links that users of this site will find useful and related. The links include the ACI materials journal, Environmental geology, applied acoustics, ByggForskning, ASTM standardization news, first break, International computer for-integrated design and construction, and earth surface processes and landforms journals. It is imperative for the users to know that the list outlined in this guide is not exhaustive. Students can subscribe to most sites that lead to access of this information freely and then constantly retrieve the information they find necessary for them. The site also gives room for users to ask questions in the areas they are seeking clarifications. Engineering Village http:www.engineeringvillage2.org/controller/servlet/controller?com This is an index to periodical literature in the field of civil engineering. This is a bibliographic database containing information in engineering and other closely related professional disciplines. The database is updated very often to include news features that are current and pertaining to books, articles, and journals found in the engineering library. The site is very important to the students who begin the civil engineering course because its information is available with its abstract, authors of the journals, books, the dates that the works were printed and the publishers. The database allows the students and other users to explore broad areas within civil engineering. The students easily access the details on the specific topics they are researching. The layout of the compendex is clear adding to the clarity and neatness of the site. The guide helps the users to familiarize themselves with Penn State University journals, websites, journals and resources commonly used in the civil engineering professional studies. Under this resource, students will find civil engineering websites, periodicals, engineering standards, professional organizations, government resources and periodical indices. The site is crucial, as it is helpful to students at Penn State University who specialize in field of civil engineering and related disciplines. As the students progress, the resource becomes even more relevant as they specialize in their respective fields. The site gives room for the students to transcend from learners to professionals (Best and Martin 211). Tips on using this resource This is a Penn State University site and can be accessed through the university’s portal. The user will need to have the login password to access this information. Penn State University allows students to view the library holdings for periodicals that have been approved by the university’s departments. Sometimes the sections in the compendex categorises the topics that only cover the titles and authors in the specific resources. The site has an ask the expert tab that helps in navigation for the visitors who are mostly engineering students and other interested parties to check products, experts, librarians and ask questions to the experts for inquiries. To get proper use of the site, users need to concentrate on structural engineering. The higher they get in their studies the more relevant the site becomes. Students also need to be introduced to professional groups, as these groups will help them standardize their professionalism. Library and Learning services: Civil engineering www.eul.ac.uk/lls/services,civileng.com This site contains internet links, printed resources, database and electronic resources. Other links on the site include those that give information to dissertation guidance and explaining how to contact the librarian in the field of civil engineering. The site also has blogs where users can engage the staff in office on specific areas they need assistance. The site has databases that are important in civil engineering. They offer expensive technical information at no cost to students. Information posted on this site is quality as professionals always review it before it is posted. Since this information is on line, students and other subscribed users can access it from anywhere. The content of the sites include abstracts in new technologies and engineering. This information is cited and has the necessary abstract. The British standards and other codes applicable in Europe are available in this site under the British Standards Online headline. The heading Construction Information Service contains very crucial information that covers both technical information that covers publishers, authors, dates of publications and titles. The civil engineering channel, which is a useful media resource, is available on this site. This channel contains videos for experts in the discipline of civil engineering along with interactive questions for the students. Other contents include the ICE virtual library, the digimap, EBSCO greenfile, science direct, EBSCO academic search complete and the Nexis (Spain 57). Electronic resources The site also electronic books commonly referred to e-books. The site has a tab labelled library search that enables students and other users with their user names from across the world. The tab contains an e-books quick guide that helps students to run through all the necessary information they need from the site. Among the e-books on the site include engineering science 5th edition by Bolton, published online by Dawsonera, and can be retrieved at http;//www.dawsonera.com. Advanced construction technology fourth revision edition by Chudley and Greeno, published in 2006 and can be retrieved from www.dowsonera.com is also part of the list. For students who are interested printed books, the site gives a list of them all and describes how and where they can be accessed. Dissertation guidance The students are advised to get used to using this title, as it is more valuable to them compared to using checking the old examples. The guidelines to follow while using the dissertation guidance are listed on the site. The guidelines categorically give the procedure to be followed by beginners in the course. Tips on using the site The students are supposed be very observant and classify the exact topics that they are studying for the site to be more useful. Catalogue of US Government Publications http://permanent.access.gpo.gov/websites/www.state.gov/documnets.organizations/13458.pdf. This is a catalogue of US government publications under the energy and water for sustainable living. It is a compendium of energy and water success stones. It contains online database for all federal government publications. The students can get access to this site free of charge and go to the subheading that befits them. The US government is the largest publisher in the world; its website has useful information among its publications that cannot be ignored by civil engineering students. Tips on Usage The user of this site needs to be conversant with the specific topic of study then key in the right words. The statistics either are always available for the regions in the world specifically or grouped regionally for instance developing countries characteristics, the European Union zone, and the Asian Pacific (Barnes 109). ASCE Research Library http://www.ascelibrary.org.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu This is an on line research library that students from Penn State University can access a collection of journals and databases. All the areas in the civil engineering field are covered. Current information on journals, articles, books and other publications is regularly updated for students and other interested parties to use. The site begins with a home page and it is very easy to navigate from there. Freshmen and students in sophomore years can use specific information found on the site for other activities and research. Some of the information available is professional and takes the place of experts. The greatest advantage of this is its chronological order in which work is arranged in sequence. Tips The chronology of arrangement makes it easier as topics can be searched yearly, by title, and topically. Articles are available as users can easily locate what they need. If the user is unsubscribed, the options under aims and scope will help him or her get the information needed. Closure Freshmen and sophomore students need a lot of guidance, as they are beginners in the professional and technical course of Civil Engineering. This internet source guide is applicable to all the beginners and those in research areas. As the course enables the students to transcend from students to professionals, the guide will play a central role in making sure that the transition is successful. Works Cited Barnes, Martin. Cesmm3 Examples. Thomas Telford, 1991. Print. Best, Kate, and Martin, Barnes. Twilight: Photography in the Magic Hour. London: V&A, 2006. Print. Flood, Ian. Towards a Vision for Information Technology in Civil Engineering: Proceedings of 4th Joint International Symposium On Information Technology In Civil Engineering, November 15-16, 2003, Nashville, Tennessee, USA. Reston, Va.: American Society of Civil Engineers, 2004. Gander, Forrest. Science & Steeple flower. New York: New Directions Pub. Corp, 1998. Print. Hido, Todd, and Leon, Borensztein. Witness Number Seven. New York, N.Y: Joy of Giving Something, 2009. Print. Spain, Bryan. Cesmm 3 Explained. London: E& FN Spon, 1992. Print. Read More