Introduction to Graduate Research in Education
October 26, 2005

I. Locating books in the Library:

1. WebLUIS (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, research? will search for researchers, researching etc. Also, you can search for 2 keywords next to each other this way: research 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.

*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 sections of the library such as the Reference, Curriculum, Children’s Literature or Government Documents Collections.

The advanced search screen offers options for Boolean combining of search terms (and, or, not) and limiting of searches by date, format, or language, as well as location.

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 Full Text. It=s estimated that there is about a 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 log in through the EZ-Proxy link. You will need to enter the number from your Owl Card in order to do this.

1. ERIC (Education Resources Information Center):

ERIC     CSA
ERIC     Institute of Education Sciences (IES) of the U.S. Department of Education

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. The FirstSearch version is easiest to use. 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. ERIC is currently in transition to a new system, which will be unveiled in November-December 2004.

2. Education Full Text:

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.

3. 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.

4. Web of Science:

Three unique citation databases which allow searching cited references as well as traditional searches independently or 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.

5. 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.

III. Interlibrary Loan (AKA ILLiad):

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.

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

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