Useful Links:
Conference papers are useful for finding very up to date information. New research might be presented at a conference before it is published in a traditional journal. In Engineering, for example, conference papers are a common dissemination method.
Search for conference proceedings in Library Search by topic > click on Advanced Search > type "conference" into the first box and a subject into the second box.
When searching for a specific conference, try entering key title words and/or acronyms rather than the full title
Conference Proceedings can be expensive, so the Library may not hold all the conference papers you need. You can use Interlibrary Loans to request individual papers or whole proceedings.
If your discipline is overseen by a learned society or a professional body (eg Law Society, BMA, RIBA) you will find links from their individual websites to conferences within the discipline.
Subject specific resources
Most subject specific databases, as well as interdisciplinary databases index conferences. Simply look for the option to limit your search by document type to conference papers. Some examples which include a lot of conference papers include:
Attending conferences in your subject field is a great way to build up contacts and start to network with other researchers. They are also useful to find out about new developments.Once you've started your research, presenting at conferences is a valuable way to publicly discuss and obtain feedback on your research.