ScienceDirect: Quick Start Guide: About

ScienceDirect is one of the most highly regarded full-text online databases for locating and downloading peer-reviewed scientific and technical journals and book chapters. VDOT employees may access more than 16 million full-text articles from more than 4,100 journals and chapters from more than 39,000 e-books through ScienceDirect in hundreds of subjects within the broad categories of Physical Sciences and Engineering, Life Sciences, Health Sciences, and Social Sciences.  ScienceDirect is accessible from the Library’s Web site or the Library’s Online Catalog.

Note: The library now offers two account options for VDOT employees, a Regular Account and a Self-Service Account.  The differences are explained in the guide ScienceDirect: Finding Full Text.

More than 16 million articles and chapters from 4,100 journals and 39,000 e-Books in ScienceDirect are accessible through VDOT's subscription for download or "request" by VDOT employees, including nearly 1 million "Open Access" articles (learn more about Open Access), which are freely accessible to any connected user. 

Some of the best technical journals consulted by top engineers, researchers and decision makers in transportation are published by Elsevier through ScienceDirect. Since the list grows daily the best way for users to keep up is to search or browse all 4,100 journals and 39,000 e-Books in ScienceDirect. 

Some of the resources may not seem relevant (like health sciences and disciplines not closely related to transportation), so we compiled an A-Z List of "Core Journals" frequently used by transportation professionals, including many titles in ScienceDirect.

Here are some Examples of ScienceDirect Journals