EDF 3610
Resources for Library Research in Multicultural Education
Librarian: Ken Frankel
 

A research guide on multicultural education featuring print and online  resources is available at: http://www.library.fau.edu/depts/ref/rsguide/multiedu/Main.htm

 

I. Locating books in the Library:

1. Aleph (the Library's catalog): click on Catalog or Books. The following types of basic searches are available:

A. Keywords: This search looks for a word anywhere in the record. Keywords can be truncated with a ? For example, educ.? will search for education, educational, educators etc. Also, you can search for 2 keywords next to each other this way: educational adj methods (adj stands for adjacent)
B. Author's Name: last name first, you don't need to capitalize
C. Title: if a title starts with "The," "A," or "An," omit that and skip to the next word.
D. Subject: This search looks for items classified by a subject heading and organizes the results into sub-topics. Subjects must be entered in a specific manner according to the Library of Congress subject headings. You may get a cross-reference to the preferred subject heading.  Some subject heading examples that might be useful:

• African Americans - education
• Asian Americans - education
• Busing for school integration
• Educational equalization
• Hispanic Americans - education
• Indians of North America - education
• Multicultural education

*If you're not finding anything with a subject search try a keyword search instead*

E. Journal/Magazine Title: be sure to check the "Library Has" link to see which dates the Library owns. (Note: not all electronic journals we have are cataloged in WebLUIS. There is also a link to a list of all electronic journals available at FAU.)

Note the location box, which can be used to limit your search to a particular campus as well as sections of the library such as the Reference, Curriculum, Children's Literature or Government Documents Collections.  The advanced search screen allows combination of search terms using AND, OR, NOT as well as ability to limit by format, language, and/or date.

II. Searching for articles in databases

To search for articles click on "Indexes/Databases" or "Articles". There are both alphabetical and subject listings of databases. The Library provides access to the two major education databases: ERIC and Education Abstract. Note: when using these databases from off-campus you must log in through the EZ-Proxy link. You will need to enter the number from your Owl Card in order to do this.  The SFX feature allows you to link to external sources such as other databases holding the full text of the article, the Library's catalog, the list of FAU's electronic journals, etc.

Selected Library Databases

1. ERIC = Education Resources Information Center

    ERIC (CSA)

    ERIC (http://eric.ed.gov)

ERIC is a combination of two databases: Cumulative Index to Journals in Education (CIJE) and Resources in Education (RIE). RIE covers non-journal education documents, such as reports, conference papers, curriculum guides, etc. Several versions of ERIC are listed on the database list. By using the Advanced Search screen, you can limit your search by document type (e.g. guides-teaching), source, format, or date. Many of the more recent ERIC documents and articles can be accessed online by clicking on the SFX link. Older ERIC documents are available on microfiche in the Library, and are arranged by the six digit ED number.

2.  Education Full Text
Education Full Text is an online version of the paper Education Index. This database covers periodical (magazine and journal) articles only.  Searches may be limited by full text, page image, peer reviewed status, date, document type or physical description.

3. Ethnic NewsWatch
Ethnic NewsWatch is a full-text general reference database of the newspapers, magazine and journal of the ethnic, minority, and native press -- English and Spanish language.  These are not scholarly resources but may provide valuable insight into the viewpoints of various ethnic groups in the United States.

4. Kraus Curriculum Development Library (KCDL Online)
This searchable database of curricula, frameworks, and standards brings together educational objectives, content, instructional strategies, and evaluative techniques for all subjects covered in PreK-12 and Adult Basic Education. Searches may be limited by subject, grade level, educational content, etc. Documents with a "page" icon are available online. The other documents are available on microfiche in the Library (LB 1570 K72). The Library has the microfiche for 1983-1994 and 1997-2000.

5.  Chicano Database
Covers all types of materials on Mexican-American topics and about Chicanos including materials on the broader Latino experience, Puerto Ricans, Cuban Americans, and Central American immigrants.

5.  JSTOR
Journal Storage has more than 500 scholarly journals in education, humanities, mathematics, science [including the General Science Collection, Ecology and Botany Collection], and social science disciplines.  Contains the back files of all titles, making it valuable for historical research.

5.  Academic Search Premier
Academic Search Premier, designed specifically for academic institutions, is the world's largest scholarly, multi-disciplinary full text database containing full text for nearly 4,700 publications, including more than 3, 600 peer-reviewed publications.

 III. Print Resources

UMany valuable resources on multicultural education are available in print format in the Library's reference collection which are not available electronically.  Some these include:

A.  Information about ethnic groups:

Countries and their cultures.  (4 vols.)	REF GN 307 C68 2001
Culturgrams: the nations around us. (2 vols.)	REF GT 150 C 85 1996
Encyclopedia of the world's minorities. (3 vols.)	REF GN 495.4 E 63 2005
Encyclopedia of world cultures. (10 vols.)	REF GN 307.E 53
Gale encyclopedia of multicultural America. (2 vols.) (also available online)	REF E 184 A1 G 14 1995
Worldmark encyclopedia of cultures and daily life. ( 4vols.)	REF GN 333 W 67 1998

B.  Information about national systems of education:

International encyclopedia of national systems of education.	REF LB 43 I 584 1995
World education encyclopedia: a survey of educational systems world.	REF LB 15 W 87 2002

See the research guide link at the top of this page for more print resources.

IV. Citing your References

APA style is the way to format research papers based on the Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2001). This book is available in the Reference area and on 3 hour reserve (BF 76.7 P83 2001). Many quick reference guides to APA & other styles are available on the Internet. An example from Purdue University is:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_apa.html

V. Need more help?

In -Person: at the Reference Desk

Reference Desk Phone Number: 561-297-3785

Ask A Librarian: assistance by email or instant messaging

Library Hours