Materials and How Products Are Made
- Census DataAccess data about the nation's people and economy including demographic data and the Economic Census.
How Products Are Made : An Illustrated Guide to Product ManufacturingProvides concise information on how common products are manufactured. Also includes illustrations for each entry and bibliographic citations leading to more information.
- How Stuff WorksBasic internal workings of common mechanical devices.
- National Technical Information ServiceFrom the US Department of Commerce, this service is the “central resource for government-funded scientific, technical, engineering, and business related information available today.”
For additional resources check the Mechanical Engineering research guide.
Manufacturers’ Directories
- ThomasNet.comFormerly Thomas Register. Company profiles provide contact information for over 168,000 US and Canadian manufacturing companies. Browse by product and service and request prices.
- Grainger’s CatalogIndustrial and commercial equipment and supplies.
- Data Axle Reference Solutions (formerly ReferenceUSA) This link opens in a new window Current and historical directories of U.S. businesses and consumers. Search businesses by company name, geographic area, business type, SIC code, revenue, location, number of employees and more. Also includes job and internship listings.
- Alibaba.comBrowse by category to find parts and products mostly made in China
Patents
- Inventor’s HandbookClear FAQ’s about the patent process by the Lemelson-MIT Program.
- Esp@cenet (European Patent Office)Includes patent applications in their original language from The European Patent Office, the World Intellectual Property Organization and patent applications with an English abstract and title from Worldwide (50 countries and regions) and Japan. Includes bibliographic details and where available the abstract, full text and images of a document. See the Patent Offices of the Member States.
- US Patent & Trademark OfficeThe official web site of the United States patent and Trademark Office. Search patents and trademarks, order copies, apply for patents, register trademarks, pay fees, monitor progress and more.
You can also check the Research Guide: Patent and Trademark Searching at the Boston University Science and Engineering Library.
Regulations
- Code of Massachusetts RegulationsGives sections of the CMR which are available on the web from the Mass Trial Court Law Libraries. Consult this online CMR index by Subject (Code of Massachusetts Regulation Index) to learn the title and section of a regulation. See their document delivery service to obtain a copy via email of a regulation not yet available on the web.
- Cornell University Legal Information InstituteSearchable US Code.
- Code of Federal RegulationsCurrent updates of rules and regulations provided by the Government Printing Office.
Labor Statistics
- Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD)Massachusetts labor market information.
- US Bureau of Labor StatisticsInformation on earnings, inflation and spending, and the economy in general, along with other topics. See: National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates of the BLS.
International Labor Statistics:
- Economist Intelligence Unit: Country Reports This link opens in a new window“Country Commerce Reports” include information on human resources including wages and working hours.
- International Labor Organization StatisticsILOSTAT allows you to browse a variety of statistics by subject. Tables include earnings and other labor related indicators.
Real Estate Costs
- CBRE/New EnglandProvides property listings by zip code.
- Colliers InternationalMarket intelligence by country and city, includes office market, industry market and R & D market. Reports contain square feet available, vacancy rates, and other useful information.
- U.S. Market Trends: Office Market TrendsProvides office rental rates. Includes both national reports and area markets, available from the drop down box.
