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

http://www.springer.com/biomed/journal/10439

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Government Resources

Catalog of U.S. Government Publications

http://catalog.gpo.gov/F


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

http://catalog.gpo.gov/F

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Government Resources

Statistical Abstract of the United States

http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/


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

http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/

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General Internet Resources

The Biomedical Engineering Society

http://bmes.org/


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

http://bmes.org/

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Biomedical News on IEEE Spectrum

http://spectrum.ieee.org/biomedical


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

http://spectrum.ieee.org/biomedical

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Penn State Department of Biomedical Engineering

http://www.bioe.psu.edu/


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

http://www.bioe.psu.edu/

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Penn State eCareer

https://eng-psu-csm.symplicity.com/students/


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

https://eng-psu-csm.symplicity.com/students/

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Indexes to Periodical Literature

Engineering Village Compendex

http://www.engineeringvillage.com/search/quick.url


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)

http://www.engineeringvillage.com/search/quick.url

Documents

Internet Resources Guide