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Education and Behavioral Sciences Home Page
Educational Psychology
Carol Wright, Education Librarian
caw4@psu.edu ~ 814-865-0666 502 Paterno Library


Common Search Tips for using Electronic Databases


Vocabulary

Use the appropriate search terms used by each database. Terms may vary, and will significantly affect the results of your search.
Note the difference between keywords and subject headings.
Subject headings are 'official' terms used to categorize titles under a common topic.
Keywords, conversely, are terms which may appear in any part of a record.
Use of each of these commands will yield significantly different results.

Combining terms

and [so that both terms are retrieved] ....
    ex: heredity and longevity

or   [so that either term is retrieved] .......
    ex: television or radio

not [so that one term is eliminated] ........
    ex: media not advertising


Truncation

The LIAS symbol to truncate for variant endings is $ .
For example, the search: k chil$ retrieves: childhood, Chilcott, etc.
This symbol varies among databases. Internet search engines often use *

Limit

Limit by date, language, etc. See CAT ‘help’ for more information.

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A. Indexes /Abstracts  in Education / Psychology / Behavioral Sciences

See http://www.libraries.psu.edu/instruction/subject/masterlistresgd.htm to find lists of databases for specific topics.The most commonly used ones for your topic are listed here, and are on the E-Resource List [A-Z], at http://www.lias.psu.edu:80/alall.html

ERIC -- Educational Resources Information Center
ERIC, (Education Resources Information Center), is a premier database of journal and non-journal education literature, with more than 1.1 million citations since 1966. Sponsored by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) of the U.S. Dept. of Education.
ERIC covers two types of literature:
Journals [over 1000 scholarly, professional and practitioner journals]
ERIC Documents [non-journal literature, such as conference papers, standards reports, etc. Not peer-reviewed].
The recommended ERIC search interface for PSU users is Cambridge Scientific Abstracts.

What Works Clearinghouse
Created in 2002, the goal of the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) is to identify findings of scientific evidence. The WWC collects, screens, and identifies studies of the effectiveness of educational interventions (programs, products, practices, and policies); reviews studies that have the strongest design; and reports on the strengths and weaknesses of those studies against the WWC Evidence Standards. Study reports [ratings of individual studies and designs for reliability]; intervention reports [findings that meet WWC Evidence Standards for a particular intervention]; topic reports [description of topic and each intervention that the WWC reviewed]
http://www.w-w-c.org/

Professional Development Collection
Over 515 full text journals, including nearly 350 peer-reviewed titles, with some full text as far back as 1965;  full text for selected education pamphlets, and a searchable images database.

Education Abstracts Full Text [Wilson]
Over 625 periodicals, with indexing from 1983; full text for many since 1994.

PsycINFO
Comprehensive international database for psychology: journals, book chapters, literature reviews, etc. Many in full text,

Of  Related Subject Interest:

CQ Researcher
Weekly "magazine" that explores in-depth a single "hot issue" currently being discussed in the news. Topics include social issues, politics, economics, the environment, education, science, and more. Each issue includes an essay outlining the issue, a pro-con feature, a chronology, and a bibliography.

ABI Inform
business-oriented; for subjects such as marketing, company information,
industry trends, human resources, economic policy, health care, consumer
products and services.

Academic Universe /Lexis Nexis

Wide range of news, business, legal, and reference information. Covers many
news sources for 20 years; Court cases and statutes from all federal and state
jurisdictions.

Dissertation Abstracts


Ethnic NewsWatch
comprehensive full text of the newspapers, magazines and journals of the
ethnic, minority and native press.

Proquest Direct

Policy File
public policy and analysis from public policy think tanks, university research
programs, research organizations and publishers.

Sociological Abstracts

sociology, social work, and other social sciences

Higher Education Abstracts

Multicultural Education Abstracts

Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center
Provides research and background information on social issues, including essays, statistics, primary documents, links to websites, and full-text magazine and newspaper articles.


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B. Government Documents

Congressional and Legislative Resources
Link from E-Resource List [A-Z], http://www.lias.psu.edu/alall.html

The Social Sciences Library [2nd floor Paterno] is the prime location for government  publications.  That library’s web site http://www.libraries.psu.edu/socialsciences/ has many important links, including guides to research.


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C. Citation indexes [Cited Reference Searching] 

On E-Resource List [A-Z], select Web of Science, or Social Science Citation Index / Science Citation Index / Arts and Humanities Citation Index

Cited Reference Searching is useful to determine what newer works have cited an older work in their bibliographies.   If you know that Smith’s 1991 work is seminal in the field, you are likely interested in who else has cited that 1991 work in more recent articles.  Cited Reference Searching lets your searching move forward in time, rather than the typical retrospective search. See http://scientific.thomson.com/tutorials/citedreference/crsmenu.htm   for a demonstration.


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D.  Statistical Sources

For background, read Statistics Every Writer Should Know - http://www.robertniles.com/stats/

CAT subject search
Combine the subdivision '-statistics' with major subject headings

Statistics Resources on the Education and Behavioral Sciences Library
http://www.libraries.psu.edu/ebsl/howdoi/statistics.htm

NationalCenter for Education Statistics
www.nces.ed.gov

Includes the Encyclopedia of ED Stats http://www.nces.ed.gov/edstats/ , Digest of Education Statistics,  Condition of Education Statistics, Projections of Education Statistics to 2008, Education Indicators: An International Perspective, and Youth Indicators 1996

Statistical Universe [on E-Resource List A-Z]
Index to statistical data in federal agency government publications; many full text.

Statistical Abstracts of the US
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/
The National Data Book, it contains a collection of statistics on social and economic conditions in
the US; selected international data.  


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E.   Selected Background / Overview resources

PSU Education and Behavioral Sciences Library
Web Page for Educational Psychology.
http://www.libraries.psu.edu/ebsl/esp.htm

Adolescent Health Sourcebook : Basic Consumer Health Information about Common Medical, Mental, and Emotional Concerns in Adolescents. Chad T. Kimball.
Detroit, MI : Omnigraphics, c2002.
RJ140.A335 2002 Lehigh Valley, New Kensington

Cabell's Directory of Publishing Opportunities in Educational Psychology and Administration. Beaumont, TX: Cabell Pub. Co.
EBSL Ref Z286.E3C323 2002/03

Educational Psychology: Windows on Classrooms. Paul Eggen. 6th ed.
Upper Saddle River, N.J. : Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall, c2004.
LB1051.E463 2004

Encyclopedia of School Psychology. Steven W.Lee, ed. Sage Publications, c2005.
EBSL Ref LB1027.55.E523 2005

Frontiers in Educational Psychology. Russell F. Waugh, ed. Nova Science Publ., c2005.
LB1051.F867 2005

Handbook of Academic Learning. Construction of Knowledge. Gary D. Phye, ed.
San DiegoAcademic Press, c1997.
LB1060.H3456 1997

Handbook of School Psychology. Cecil R.Reynolds, Terry B. Gutkin, eds.
3rd ed. J. Wiley & Sons, c1999.
LB1051.H2356 1999

Tests : a Comprehensive Reference for Assessments in Psychology, Education, and Business. Taddy Maddox, ed. 5th ed. Pro-Ed, c2003.
BF176.T43 2003

Encyclopedia of Education 2nd ed. 2003.
EBSL Ref LB15.E47 2003

International Encyclopedia of Education 2nd Ed , c1994. 12 vols.
EBSL Ref LB15.I569 1994

International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences
on the A-Z List http://www.lias.psu.edu/alall.html


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F.  Methodology

Completing Your Thesis or Dissertation: Professors Share Their Techniques and Strategies
LB2369.C64 2000 5th Floor Paterno

Educational Research, Methodology and Measurement : an International Handbook 2nd ed. Pergamon, c1997. 
LB1028.E3184 1997 5th Floor Paterno

Designing & Conducting Research: Inquiry in Education & Social Science
BF76.5.D68996 5th Floor Paterno

First Steps in Research and Statistics: A Practical Workbook for Psychology Students
BF76.5.H69 5th Floor Paterno

How to Design and Evaluate Research in Education 
EBSL Ref  LB1028.F665

Interpreting Educational Research: An Introduction for Consumers of Research 3rd ed.
LB1028.H537 2002 5th Floor Paterno

Research Methods in Psychology 2nd ed.
BF76.5.R466 2000 5th Floor Paterno


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G.  Data Sets for Research

Web site designed to support the acquisition and use of secondary datasets which are available for research. PSU is a member of ICPSR, providing downloadable datasets and codebooks from their website. The Libraries also subscribes to Sociometrics, and the Roper Institute iPoll, among others.


Data Sets for Research
http://www.libraries.psu.edu/socialsciences/datasets/datasetsmain.htm


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H.  Images

CAMIO (Catalog of Art Museum Images Online)
CAMIO (Catalog of Art Museum Images Online) offers rights-cleared, high-quality art images for class projects, art history and studio art programs, course Web sites, lectures, presentations, and research resources.
http://www.lias.psu.edu/entry/camio.html

Newspaper Photos
(AccuNet/AP Photo Archive)
An average of 800 state, regional, national and international photos added daily; after a year, approximately 200 of the best daily photos are retained permanently.
http://www.lias.psu.edu/dball.html#PHOTOARCHIVE


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I.  Associations

Associations Unlimited
More than 158,000 detailed listings for local / national organizations all over the world.
http://www.lias.psu.edu/dball.html#EA


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J. Citing Your Sources

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association  [APA Style Manual]  5th ed, 
2001. BF76.7.A46 at all reference desks in Paterno Library [2nd, 3rd, 4th floors]

The APA [American Psychological Association] Electronic Reference Formats
recommended by the American Psychological Association   Includes email communications web sites,  articles and abstracts from electronic databases, and weB citations in text.   http://www.apastyle.org/elecref.html
Also, see sample citations provided at http://www.libraries.psu.edu/instruction/infolit/andyou/mod8/mod8main.htm


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K.  Materials in Other Libraries

Virtual Electronic Library (CIC)
The CIC Virtual Electronic Library (VEL) allows students and faculty of the CIC-Big 10 to access and use any information resources owned or licensed by the CIC Universities.

WorldCAT
A databaseof over 24 million volumes. At each record screen, click the button "Libraries with this item."

PSU Interlibrary Loan (http://www.libraries.psu.edu/tas/ill/)
Request materials not owned by PSU Libraries.


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L. Presentation

Career Advancement Portfolio
LB1775.2.I72 20005th Floor Paterno

Portfolio Guidebook: Implementing Quality in an Age of Standards. 2000.
LB1029.P67K62

Synthesizing Research: A Guide for Literature Reviews 3rd Ed. c1998
H62.C5859 1998 3rd Floor Paterno

Writing Empirical Research Reports: A Basic Guide for Students of Social and Behavioral Sciences 3rd Ed.
LB2369.P97 5th Floor Paterno

Writing Literature Reviews: A Guide for Students of the Social and Behavioral Sciences 1999
H61.8.G3 1999 3rd Floor Paterno

Career Advancement Portfolio 2000.LB1775.2.I72 2000

 

Please send comments or suggestions to Carol Wright, Education & Behavioral Sciences Library, Penn State University.