Humphrey Fellowship Program
Resources for Research
Carol Wright, Education Librarian
502 Paterno Library
caw4@psu.edu ~ 814-865-0666
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.Use of each of these commands will yield significantly different results. |
Combining terms |
and [so that both terms are retrieved] .... or [so that either term is retrieved] ....... not [so that one term is eliminated] ........ |
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. |
A. Indexes /Abstracts in Education / Psychology / Behavioral Sciences
See http://www.lias.psu.edu/gensubjlist.html 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 Not peer-reviewed].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 25 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, including APA journals.Of Related Subject Interest
E-Resource List [A-Z], at http://www.lias.psu.edu:80/alall.html unless notedABI 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.Ethnic NewsWatch
Comprehensive full text of the newspapers, magazines and journals of the ethnic, minority and native press.Ethnic NewsWatch
Comprehensive full text of the newspapers, magazines and journals of the ethnic, minority and native press.Proquest Direct
[combination of Periodical Abstracts, Newspaper Abstracts and ABI business]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 sciencesWomen's Resources International NOT full text.
B.Government Documents
Congressional and Legislative Resources
The Social Sciences Library [2nd floor Paterno] is the prime location for government publications. See http://www.libraries.psu.edu/socialsciences/
Link from E-Resource List [A-Z] http://www.lias.psu.edu:80/alall.htmlOf particular note are:
Guide to Research on Congressional and Legislative Resources
[includes Hearings and Reports, Debates and Votes, Policy Formulation, and Tracking Legislation]
http://www.libraries.psu.edu/socialsciences/government/index.htmGuide to U.S. Treaties and International Agreements
http://www.libraries.psu.edu/socialsciences/international/intgate.htmGuide to Federal Courts, Reporters, Digests, and Citators
http://www.libraries.psu.edu/socialsciences/law/index.htm
C. Citation indexes [Cited Reference Searching]
On E-Resource List [A-Z] http://www.lias.psu.edu:80/alall.html, 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://www.isinet.com/training/tutorials/citedreference/ for a demonstration.
D. Statistical Sources
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/crsweb/ed/howdoi/statistics.htmNational Center for Education Statistics
http://www.nces.ed.gov/
Includes 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 1996Statistical Universe [on E-Resource List A-Z]
http://www.lias.psu.edu:80/alall.html
Index to statistical data in federal agency government publications; many full text.Statistical Abstracts of the US
The National Data Book, it contains a collection of statistics on social and economic conditions in the US selected international data.
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/
E.Selected Background / Overview resources
International Encyclopedia of Social and Behavioral Sciences [on A-Z list]
Early Childhood Education: An International Encyclopedia. Praeger Publishers, 2007.
Encyclopedia of Special Education. 3rd ed. Wiley, c2007.
FAQs for TAs: Practical Advice and Working Solutions for Teaching Assistants. Routledge, 2007.
The Field Guide to Teaching: A Handbook for New Teachers. Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall, c2007.
Handbook of Distance Education, ed. by Michael Moore. 2nd ed. L. Erlbaum Associates, c2007.
Models of Curriculum-Based Assessment: A Blueprint for Learning. 4th ed. Pro-Ed, c2007.
The Standards-Based Digital School Leader Portfolio. Rowman & Littlefield Education, c2005.
Where You Stand is Where You Sit : An Academic Administrator's Handbook. University of Arkansas Press, 2006.
World Education Encyclopedia [electronic]: A Survey of Educational Systems Worldwide. 2nd ed. Gale Group, c2002.
F. Methodology
Educational Research, Methodology and Measurement: an International Handbook 2nd ed. Pergamon, c1997.
LB1028.E3184 1997Designing & Conducting Research: Inquiry in Education & Social Science
BF76.5.D68 1996How to Design and Evaluate Research in Education 4th ed
Ref LB1028.F665 2000
G. 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.