EDF 6481: LIBRARY RESOURCES FOR EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH 

PROFESSOR EBRAHIM

LIBRARIAN: Ken Frankel

SEPTEMBER 24, 2007

Objectives: Following this session you should know how to: Use the new FAU Library Catalog to locate books and other materials owned by the Library Log into EZproxy (when, how and why) Understand the difference between electronic journals and databases Become aware of and use the most important databases for conducting literature reviews in the discipline of education Use SFX to connect to full-text articles in different databases Determine if a periodical is peer-reviewed Locate other authors that have cited an article of interest using Web of Science Cite your sources Get additional help

I. LOCATING BOOKS AND OTHER LIBRARY MATERIALS :

FAU Library Catalog:

The Library Catalog allows you to search for books, government documents, DVDs, electronic books, and other materials in the Library's collection. The catalog will tell you if the library owns a particular periodical (journal or magazine) but does not include the articles found in periodicals. To find these you must use a different database (see below).

The Advanced search screen allows you to combine terms using "and, or, not" as well as limiting a search by location, date, format, or language.

II. ELECTRONIC JOURNALS:

Use this link to determine if the Library provides electronic access to a particular journal title. Click on the letter corresponding to the journal's title or type the title in the box next to "Title begins with." This box may also be used to search keywords in an electronic journal's title. The Citation Linker near the bottom of the page can be used to search for a specific article.

Note: when using the electronic journals from off-campus you must first log in through the Off Campus Connect. You will need to enter the 14-digit number from your Owl Card in order to do this.

III. 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 Full Text. It's estimated that there is about 60% overlap between the two, so to be thorough, try using them both. In addition, databases such as ProQuest Digital Dissertations, WorldCat, Web of Science and Kraus Curriculum Development Library (KCDL) may be accessed through the Library's home page.

Note: when using these databases from off-campus you must first log in through the Off Campus Connect. You will need to enter the 14-digit number from your Owl Card in order to do this.

1. Education Fulltext
   
   Education Full Text is the 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. A useful feature is “Expand” which also searches the full text of the articles (when available), not just the citation and abstract.
   
    

2. ERIC (Education Resource Information Center)
   
   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 can be accessed online by clicking on the full text link. Older ERIC documents are available on microfiche in the Library, and are arranged by the six digit ED number. The ERIC database is available at FAU through two commercial vendors and the government web site. The commercial vendors are recommended because they allow connection to the full text of journal articles using SFX, which the government web site does not (yet).
   
    

3. WorldCat
   
   The world's most comprehensive bibliographic database, includes over 48 million records in over 400 languages worldwide. Includes records for books, documents, audiovisual materials, etc. Does not include citations for journal articles.
   
    

4. ProQuest Digital Dissertations
   
   Covers every doctoral dissertation completed in the U.S. at accredited institutions for the last 150 years. It includes some master's theses and foreign language dissertations. The full-text of most recent (1997 to present) dissertations is available to download.
   
    

5. Web of Science
   
   Three unique citation databases which allow searching cited references as well as traditional searches independently of in combination: the Science Citation Index Expanded, Social Sciences Citation Index, and Arts and Humanities Citation Index. Sort search results by "Times Cited" to determine most influential articles.
    
    

6. Kraus Curriculum Development Library Online
   
   This searchable database of curricula, frameworks, and standards brings together education 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. 
   
    

7. RefWorks

   With RefWorks, users can create their own personal database by importing references from online databases.  They can use these references in writing their papers and automatically format the paper and the bibliography in seconds.
   
    

8. Ulrichsweb.com
   
   An international periodicals directory that identifies special features, such as: the presence of reviews or indexes; whether a journal is refereed; and which indexing/abstracting services cover the periodical.
      

IV. STATISTICAL SOURCES:

1.     Condition of Education

This website is an integrated collection of the indicators and analyses published in The Condition of Education 2000–2006. Some indicators may have been updated since they appeared in print.

2.     Digest of Education Statistics

The primary purpose of the Digest of Education Statistics is to     provide a compilation of statistical information covering the broad field of American education from prekindergarten through graduate school.

3.     National Center for Education Statistics

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) located within the U.S. Department of Education and Institute of Education Sciences, is the primary Federal entity for collecting and analyzing date related to education.

4.     American FactFinder

The U.S. Census Bureau's source for population, housing, economic, and geographic data.

5.     LexisNexis Statistical

Search summaries of U.S. government statistical publications, then link to the full-text of selected publications on LexisNexis Statistical and U.S. government web sites.

6.     FactSearch

A guide to statistical statements on current social, economic, political, environmental and health issues, derived from some newspapers, periodicals, newsletters, and documents.

V. INTERLIBRARY LOAN:

Use this service to order materials the Boca Campus library does NOT own. You may order books, Articles, videos, etc. Use this service to order materials at the Jupiter or Port St. Lucie libraries to have the materials delivered to the Boca campus circulation desk. To set up this free service, create an account for "first time users" here.

VI. 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:

The OWL at Purdue: APA Formatting and Style Guide

VII. RESEARCH ASSISTANCE:

Ask A Librarian Email and chat reference help

Reference desk phone number: 561-297-3785 (Boca Raton Campus)

Make an appointment with a librarian:

One-on-one reference consultation

For Further assistance contact:

Ken Frankel, M.Ed, MLIS, (frankel@fau.edu), Reference Dept. (561-297-0079)