A Guide to Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering and Industry For Petroleum Engineering Students - Assignment Example

Table of contents I. Preface a. Content…………………………………………………………..2 b. Audience…………………………………………………………2 c. Purpose…………………………………………………………..2 d. Organization……………………………………………………..3 e. Assumptions…………………………………………………..…3 f. Tips……………………………………………………………....3 II. Electronic index……………………………………………………4 III. Professional Journals……………………………………………….5 IV. Catalog of U.S Government Publications……………………….…..7 V. Statistical Abstract of the United States …………………….……….8 VI. Internet sites that are relevant a. Directory of information sources/portals…………………………….10 b. Biographical reference…………………………………….………….11 c. Information on professional associations…………………………..….13 d. Handbook …………………………………………………………..14 I. Preface a. Content This is a guide on resources of petroleum and natural gas studies for petroleum engineering students. The guide is inclusive of the research tools, professional societies and other internet sites that are useful to a petroleum-engineering student. The resources are described to act as a technical guide on how the students can navigate through the resources with ease. The guide also gives links to the resources that students can follow to go directly to the websites and carry out a research. In addition tips on how to easily navigate through the resources are given. The abstracts give more in depth information on the resources and a student will learn a lot on the resources from them. b. Audience The target audience of this guide is the students of petroleum engineering. Of course, this guide can also be useful to other researchers and scholars who have interest in petroleum and natural gas. Scholars can use it when doing research in petroleum engineering. c. Purpose This guide aims at helping petroleum engineering students or researchers so that they are able to familiarize themselves on resources that are important when looking out for information from the internet to do their research. The guide also has the purpose of educating the students on different sources and how useful they are as well as their importance (Sult, 126). d. Organization This guide has a table of contents that outlines what the reader should expect in the guide. The table of contents is followed by a preface that in summary discusses on the content of the guide, audience, the purpose, the assumptions and the tips given in the guide. The main part of the guide contains; electronic index, professional journal, Catalog of U.S government publications, Statistical Abstract of the United States and other internet sites that are relevant in the petroleum and natural gas field in petroleum engineering. The internet sites reviewed are directory of information source, biographical reference, information on professional associations, and encyclopedia. e. Assumptions The assumptions of this guide include that the student or the audience is definitely familiar with the industry of petroleum and natural gas. The guide also assumes that the only individuals with interest in petroleum industry will use the guide. The best use of this guide can only be utilized if the individual using it has some basic information on petroleum and natural gases. f. Tips The table of contents helps the audience to easily navigate through the guide easily. When a reader of this guide wants a quick overview of an internet source then the abstract will help them to quickly learn about the source without going to the main website. The tips given on every source help the audience in navigating through the website without any problems. II. Electronic index http://er.lib.msu.edu/indexabstract.cfm Abstract Electronic indexes and databases allow one to search for scholarly journals, magazines, and newspapers. Some have chapters of books and CDs that are available in the libraries. Some electronic indexes give information on citation only while others add an abstract or the full text of the article that can be printed. Indexes are different although in some there may be similar citations. To get areas related to petroleum and oil engineering one should find an electronic index that is related to the subject. There is an icon in the electronic index that gives information on how to use of the index. For example, an index on petroleum and oil engineering will be indicated at the corner on description giving details of what the electronic index entails or covers. Different indexes cover different types of materials. There are those that only cover journal articles while others cover all types of publications. To conduct a search the student should use key words and phrases on the search bar. An example of an electronic index that a petroleum and oil engineering student can use is the engineered materials abstracts that is found on the link https://login.msu.edu/?App=ATS_Shibboleth_IdP_Idm. The student is required to have a logging in for the library to be able to search for journals, reports and other materials that are available in the library. There is a lot of information on petroleum and natural gases in the library given in different sources that are listed upon searching. The student should be specific on what he or she is searching in order to get the results. The library is only accessible to those who have signed up and have a password and user name to the library. Tips To access an electronic index one is required to log in. logging in requires internet and a valid university name. From the home page of the library, the student chooses the link on indexes. On clicking on the link on titles, an alphabetical list that comes up and one is able to log in using the last number and the barcode number of the library. The student needs to be very careful so that they select the index that is appropriate for them as petroleum and oil engineering students. The description of the index is very helpful in determining if the index is useful. The students should check the years covered by the index depending on the research they are carrying out. The subject covered by the index is also indicated as well as the materials that are covered. If a student is not able to access the electronic index then they should ask for assistance from a librarian since they use them every day. The librarians have experience and can easily recommend the best index that fits the research topic. III. Professional journals Abstract Professional journals are different from popular newspapers and magazines. The articles in professional journals go through peer review before they are published. Peer review includes reading and evaluating the paper that is carried out by authors and researchers who are recognized before being presented to publishing. The process of peer review is accepted widely as an indication of quality in the related discipline. The articles that are published are only those that meet the expected standards of expertise. Therefore, professional journals only publish articles that have gone through the review process. The scholarly journals usually have an expert in the covered field and the author is named. There are notes at the end and bibliographical references, the style used is for experts, and the targeted audience is usually the scholars or researchers of the field. In addition, scholars who are not employed by the journal review the professional journals and they appear to be plain in black and white. The professional journals do not have Ads and they are released monthly or quarterly. To find a professional journal a student needs to do a quick search of articles on the search bar and look for articles that are peer reviewed. The student needs to confirm it is peer reviewed by checking the peer reviewed box and then clicking on the tab academic journals, scholarly journals, or professional journals. An example is the Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering. http://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-petroleum-science-and-engineering/ whose objective is bridging the gap that exists between engineering and the science of petroleum and natural gas. The journal publishes written articles that are peer reviewed. The fields that are mainly covered by the journal include exploration, production, and flow of petroleum and natural gas. Articles in this journal including the origin and accumulation of petroleum, drilling fluids, and formation evaluation cover several topics. Papers are published with only minimum delay and research articles, reports, book reviews, proceedings, and review articles are all acceptable. Review articles of relevant articles that are of current interest are always published. The journal of petroleum science and engineering has open- access and found in the available search libraries. The journal is useful to the Petroleum engineering students as it covers all areas in petroleum engineering. This journal allows a student or researcher to be able to go through various articles that have been reviewed in finding the necessary information on petroleum engineering. Vural Sander Suicmez who is well known professional in the field of petroleum engineering and has done several works that are already published edits the Journal. Tips To find professional journals it is best if one searches from the library’s article database that allows the individual to limit results to professional journals only. The student needs to keep in mind that even though a journal is peer reviewed there may be items in the journal that are not reviewed. Often the best place to find professional journals is using databases such as academic search premier. To find the specific journal that one wants one needs to be specific on the search bar and quote the exact journal that they want. IV. Catalog of U.S Government Publications http://catalog.gpo.gov/fdlpdir/public.jsp Abstract The catalog of U.S government publications is a finding tool used to find electronic and print publications from the government. The publications make the national bibliography of the government publications. It contains the descriptive records of historical and current publications. The catalog has links to the publications that are available online. It has publications issued from 1976. Originally, it was a counterpart of the monthly catalog of the united sates government publications, which was discontinued from 2004 December. The report ‘Energy conservation program for certain Industrial Equipment: Energy Conservation standards for Commercial warm Air Furnaces’ is found in the catalog. The report gives a summary of the energy policy and conservation policy while prescribing energy conservation standards for different petroleum products. It discusses on natural gas and its primary uses. The report has an overview of energy consumption, which includes natural gas and other fuel types. Tips The website has a bar at the top where you can search for a government publication. Below the top search bar is another bar that allows an individual to be specific on the relevance and the number of articles to be displayed per page. Students can use the website as a reference when carrying out their research on petroleum and gas. When looking for a job the website can also act as a guide. V. Statistical Abstract of the United States www.census.gov Abstract The Statistical abstract of the United States has been published since 1878. The statistical abstract is a summary of several statistics that are comprehensive. The statistics are either on social, economic, and political organization of the United States. The abstract is used as a statistical reference and a guide to more sources with information available in print as well as the web. The sources of data include the bureau of statistics of labor, census bureau, economic analysis bureau, private organizations, and other federal agencies. On the web, more than one thousand four hundred indexed tables have spreadsheets attached. The spreadsheets are searchable or browsable. The abstract allows the student or researcher to view tables and information that is given for every table. The user can also email, print, and save the sources for future use. The tables available in the statistical abstract are often updated with the issue of new data. To browse in the statistical abstract the student should check at the home page for a table of contents. To be able to browse on a section, one needs to click on a section name. After selecting the section, one is able to see a pDF for the section and other tables. To view the full section one should click on the PDF section or first scrolling through the tables to see the individual tables. To search a specific statistical abstract one should use the terms of the relevant topic such as petroleum extraction and the search reflects on the row and column. The students or researcher uses the Boolean syntax in searching. The search results always show where in the records the term used in searching appears. The data source and the date when the data was released are shown in the search results. The statistical abstract of the United States has a line item that allows access to tables and it is updated every month instead of annually. The statistical abstract has the advantage of having capabilities of narrowing down the results. The abstract is also available as a part of Proquest insight and is edited by the Proquest’s team that has statistical experts. The statistical abstract has thousands of tables and hundreds of available sources that have bibliographic documentation. The introductory sections are often updated. Tips The abstract can also act as a guide to sources of other data. The table facets can give specific breakdown for refined results. The student can use double quotes to be able to limit the results to match the phrase. Results can be sorted by relevance or by table number and if the tables are from a similar section then the student will be able to look at the tables that are alike. The statistical abstract of the United States is one of the best-known statistical references and it can be found in any reference desk in the U.S libraries. It has value as an answer book and a good guide to statistical sources. VI. Relevant internet sites a. Directory of information sources/portals www.greyhouse.com/businessinfo Abstract The directory of information source is an internet source that is a source of information required in the current business industry. The directory is organized by industry depending on the contacts, the names, and the resources. They are alphabetically organized depending on industry groups. The directory gives information on the industry’s associations, magazines, newsletters, magazines, tradeshows, websites, and the databases. The directory covers over ninety eight groups and among these groups is the petroleum engineering industry. The directory of information source makes information readily available yet it would have taken years to be acquired. In addition, there are directory of information sources that allow a researcher to give feedback on how effective the directory. Feedback concerning the contents, resources or anything that is of concern is important, as corrections will be made as quickly as possible. The policy and standards committee is responsible for considering the corrections that the students and researchers give. The directory gives excellent search ability of information that is necessary for the students. The entry of the lists alphabetically allows one to easily navigate through the search and easily identify what one is searching for. The readers can also highly benefit from the index of acronyms that is given as well as a list of explanation on the abbreviations that have been used. Tips Using the directory of information resources a student or any other individual can build a successful career in petroleum engineering. The available information is useful in making contacts to the necessary people for enquiries. It is necessary to use a thoroughly updated directory of information since it will provide in-depth information on all matters that relate top petroleum engineering. b. Biographical reference Biographical information sources are sources on biography and are accessible through electronic resources. More than 13.3 million biographies are available online. The biographies cover both the dead and the living. The biographical information system is a database that has different biographical entries from all continents in the world. Biographical resources have a through coverage on biography index. The biographies are in full text articles, abstracts, images, from various journals and magazines. The biographies cover the most current life of an individual and work. A petroleum-engineering student can use the biographical resources to know the founders of extraction of petroleum and the lives they lived. The biography resources can also be useful in knowing the first founders of different organizations that deal with petroleum and natural gases. When searching, the Biography reference bank allows an individual to find the content required quickly. The database has result filters such as occupation, gender, origin, date of birth and lifespan. The biographical resources include famous individuals and other common people. The American Bibliographical index is a good example of good bibliographical resources. It gives biographical information on different individuals who have contributed anything significant in their lives. In this index, it is easy to find biographical information on petroleum engineers. Biographical dictionaries and encyclopedias also contain biographical information on various subjects. They are organized depending on the characteristics, nationality, ethnic heritage, profession, and period lived of the individual. However, the commonly used biographies are the national biographies that reference individual biographies of individuals in America who have contributed highly to the country. Biographical dictionaries give information that is up to date and the writers are mainly from English literature. The biographical sources related to petroleum engineering are mainly found in the engineering reference sources or databases that are readily available. Tips Using the EBSCO services, it is easier to use the biography research since it offers a streamlined access from one single search. Undergraduate students, researchers, scholars, and professionals that conduct research should consider using the biographical resources to look for credible information. Use of the advanced search when doing research can be more effective than the normal search since e it is well lay out and set for search strategies while giving the user a lot of control over the search process. Searching of biographies when there are so many resources can be overwhelming and thus needs some tactics. To achieve manageable results it is necessary to search using the subject. When the biography is on a known individual then one should search using the name as the subject. Since petroleum engineering is a wide topic then students and researchers should use phrases to search. The phrase could contain the ethnic group, family, location, profession, and time period. c. Information on professional associations Abstract Information on professional associations gives descriptions on different associations and the missions of the associations. The information is covered through managing resources and services that are relative. The information on professional associations that is given allows students and the professionals to learn about people of the same field, organizations dealing with similar fields, exchange of ideas between the associations. To get information on professional associations the internet is used to search the databases that contain the information. The students can easily navigate through the search by being specific on the organization they are searching. With technology as a critical tool in carrying out research, then use of information on professional associations is of high importance. When using information of professional associations, the students and researchers are able to filter the information that they require from that which they do not need. Information on professional associations can be used by petroleum engineering students in researching on the associations that are involved in petroleum and natural gas. The activities of the associations are usually listed and how activities are carried out is explained. The student has to be careful to be specific on the association that he or she is searching to ensure that relevant information is collected. Tips When using information on professional associations the student can learn some career advantages. The student is able to see areas that he or she can specialize in and the activities they will be carrying out. To be able to get results that are relevant it is important that the researcher or the student is specific in the search subject on the information that he or she requires. Use of information on professional associations contributes effectively to carrying out research on petroleum and natural gases if it is well utilized. d. Handbook http://handbook.mq.edu.au/2015/ Abstract The Handbook is an online research website or library that makes millions of articles and other reputable publications available. It is free and has different names named as premier titles. The Handbook offers free articles, facts, pictures, biographies and a lot of information on different topics. Topics such as arts, sports, engineering, medicine, and many others are found on hanbook. The Handbook can be viewed as an ideal reference source that researchers, students, and other professionals can rely on. Different Handbooks offer different information and articles. The Handbook offers engineering topics clearly and contains trusted resources that cover different engineering topics including the petroleum topics. The Handbook has a search bar at the top that allows an individual to type in the search terms to be used in the search. After entering the search terms, the Handbook provides the researcher with more than fifty seven thousand articles that can be used as reference. The Handbook also has figures that are useful in explaining more on the subject being discussed. The Handbook is freely available to anyone who wishes to use it for reference. The petroleum-engineering students should consider using the Handbook in carrying out their research on topics in the subject. Tips When navigating through the search results the student or researcher should be aware that the results are given in alphabetical order. The Handbook can be used in job search and career guidance to the students. Since the encyclopedia contains all types of information, any kind of information can also be available. The handbook is the easiest to use among all other research engines that a student will come along. Some of the articles available in the handbook are also available in other search engines that have already been discussed here. Works cited Sult, Leslie. "A New Approach To Online Database Instruction: Developing The Guide On The Side." Reference Services Review 41.1 (2013): 125-133 Read More