Search over 25 databases at once, or search by category: Business, Engineering & Research or VDOT News & Media.
With so many free and subscription resources to choose from, starting a search can sometimes be overwhelming. Often there's simply not enough time to search in all the best databases, and sometimes it's hard to even know what databases are best for a specific topic...
That's why the library created VDOT OneSearch, a special kind of search tool that simultaneously searches over 25 business, engineering and transportation databases at once, including publicly accessible sites like VDOT's Youtube Channel and Flickr Photostream but also every core subscription held by VDOT, (like: ASCE Library, ASTM Compass, and Knovel), as well as the library's catalog of more than 60,000 print volumes at the same time.
OneSearch has been around a few years, during which time we've added more and more "connectors" to our growing list of subscription databases, so today we're up to a total of 25. We just completed a redesign of the site and it's never worked better, so why not give it a shot?
If you need transportation information and don't know where to start, and especially if you don't have a lot of time or the patience to repeat searches over and over in separate databases (but feel like you should to be thorough), why not search with the tool that will save your time and focus your energy?
Here's how it works: 1. Select your search terms; 2. Select a subject category or pick and chose from the 25 databases it can search, and; 3. Click "Search" and watch the results roll in.
Relevant results from multiple resources are assembled and presented in a "unified" results screen in just seconds, so you don't have deal with a dozen or more interfaces. Plus, OneSearch has some amazing features, like the nifty "Visual Search" tab that helps you pinpoint to most relevant documents for your needs.
To help you get going we've created this Quick-Start Guide to OneSearch and this video demonstration that shows you the basics of how it works. Got questions? Let us know. We're here to help!
Ken Winter, VDOT Research Library
Dr. Balakumaran and Dr. Weyers's ASCE article builds on their research for VDOT, and is freely accessible until 11-6-20.
Special congratulations to Soundar Balakumaran, Ph.D., P.E., M.ASCE, VTRC Associate Director for Structures and Richard Weyers, Ph.D., P.E., VTRC Senior Research Scientist!
Their technical paper "Service Life Performance of Preventive and Rehabilitative Overlays on Virginia Bridge Decks: An Observational Study" has been accepted for publication by the American Society of Civil Engineers and is getting national attention.
Dr. Balakumaran's and Dr. Weyers's research in this area started for VDOT back in 2016, leading to two studies published by the Virginia Transportation Research Council on the long-term performance of Bridge Deck Overlays in Virginia:
That, in turn, led to the paper, which has been published in the Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities, one of many journals in the ASCE Library database.
" The VDOT Research Library is my go-to place for gathering precise and relevant materials because our librarians consistently outclass the breakneck pace of this era of information overload. A special note of thanks to the library for finding information that is difficult to locate! "
Because their work has national implications, ASCE felt the paper warranted special attention. It was featured yesterday (October 29, 2020) in ASCE's SmartBrief, and will be available as a "free download" for the next week.
Since the VDOT Library has a full online subscription to all 37 ASCE peer-reviewed technical and professional journals in the ASCE Library database, VDOT employees can connect to this research and thousands of other peer-reviewed papers (ASCE alone has 155,000 papers) well beyond next Friday!
To get started check out this Quick Start Guide to ASCE Library.
Questions? We're here to help!
Ken Winter, VDOT Research Library
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