Conference papers allow researchers to share and discuss their findings before the work of formal article writing begins. This is one way to find very recent research on a topic. Citations for conference proceedings are included in subject-specific databases and databases created just for proceedings. Using author searching techniques in other databases or Google Scholar can be helpful if trying to find more than a conference work's abstract or related works if the conference work (poster, paper, etc.,) is not available in full-text. Citations for conference proceedings are included in subject-specific databases and several databases created just for proceedings. Below are some of the best places to find conference proceedings:

Sometimes a conference proceeding will be published after it has been presented. Other times, it may never appear until the research is included in a formal article or book. To further complicate the situation, proceedings may be published as a book, a special journal issue, online, or any mix of these formats. Here are some best practices when looking for the full-text of a conference proceeding:

• Conduct a google search for a website for the conference or from a conference's sponsor. These websites will often tell you if the proceedings have been published. Some even offer abstracts or full-text on the conference website.
• For proceedings published in books, search the catalog for the conference name or the ISBN of the proceeding.
• For proceedings published in a special journal issue, search the e-journal collection and/or the catalog for the name of the journal.
• If you believe a proceeding has been published but is not owned by the Furman Libraries, request a copy from Interlibrary Loan.