Technical Reports : How to Find Tech Reports

Steps for Finding Tech Reports

Once you have identified the tech report you want, the process for accessing it will vary depending on whether it is available online or is part of the Library collections.

Confirm the title and report number

Even if you already have a reference to a specific tech report, a good first step is to confirm that the information you have is correct. Start by searching for the report in NTRL or another specialized tech report database.

If the full text of the report is not in NTRL, try another database. Agency-specific databases will often include the full text.

Search the Library Catalog

If you were unable to find the full text of the report online:

1. Take note of the correct title and any report numbers in the NTRL record, then
2. Search the catalog using this information.

If we have it, this will give an exact call number and location for many reports in print or provide a link to the report online.

Note the catalog call number and the exact location in the microfiche collection. If the report is located at the Middleton Shelving Facility, you can place a request to have it delivered to a campus library.

Don’t give up if you don’t find the report in the catalog! We have many reports in microfiche that are not listed. If you reach this point, ask a librarian for help.

Look for Microfiche

If you were unable to find a copy of the report online or through the catalog, you can still check the microfiche cabinets at Memorial Library as many of our tech reports are in the collection but not listed in the catalog. Look for any report number given in the reference you have and use that as a starting point.

Technical reports have many different numbering systems, which you may see referenced as report numbers, accession numbers, or SuDoc numbers. In the library, tech reports are filed under all these systems as one big alphabet. Here's an example of how the filing works:

C21.2:P27

C55.214:

CONF-9303105

COO-4076-2

DOE/NV/10451-T1

Request a Copy

If the technical report you want is not available online or in the UW Libraries' collections, use Interlibrary Loan to request a copy.