Finding conference papers
Conference papers are published in a variety of ways - they may be published as a book, or as a special issue or supplement to a journal. Some may not be published at all!
If published promptly they can you give you the latest information on research in your field.
Finding references to conference papers
The following sources include references to conference papers.
- Conference Proceedings Citation Index - Science (part of ISI Web of Science) covers science and technology, including : agriculture and environmental sciences; biochemistry and molecular biology; biotechnology; medicine; engineering; computer science; chemistry; and physics.
- Zetoc a British Library database covering over 100,000 conference papers from 1993 onwards. You can use it to set up email alerts of new papers on your subjects. Once connected to Zetoc select 'Zetoc search' and 'Conference search'. Search by conference name, description and venue. Or search for a specific paper, by author, title and keywords.
- Google Scholar - Search by keyword and add the word 'conference' and the year to your search eg 'conference education 2008'
Databases in your subject may also cover conference papers.
Getting hold of conference papers
All the above databases link to our Item Finder, which shows you if the paper you need is available online. You can also search our print holdings in Unicorn. Find out more about using the Item Finder
If the paper you need is not available online or in the Library we can try to get it for you via Inter-library loans
Forthcoming conferences
Attending conferences can help you keep up-to-date with developments in your field. Try joining relevant subject club for updates on the latest events - details are on our Resources for professional current awareness page.
The Yahoo! Directory can be a useful source of information about forthcoming conferences. Type the word 'conferences' and a subject keyword into the search box to find conference information in your area eg 'conferences chemistry'.
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