Jeris Cassel cassel@rci.rutgers.edu August 2005

Research Resources: Subject Research Guides: Education:
Indexes and Databases

The following resources, some available in Alexander Library and most available online through the Libraries' website, are the major indexing tools to research information in the education field. Journals, newspapers, dissertations and websites are often the sources for indexing and abstracting. Examine each resource to find that which fits a specific information need. These listed are accessible remotely, only through a valid Rutgers password but can be accessed without restriction in any Rutgers library.

RU Libraries = Available at the specified Rutgers University Library
RU Libraries-Specific = Available to Rutgers students, faculty, and staff.
WWW = World Wide Web resource, available to all. URLs are included for convenience.

Academic Search Premier [RU Libraries-Specific]

Academic Search Premier is a web-based search interface to a collection of periodical databases, including summaries of articles from over 3,200 publications. It contains a wide range of popular magazines and scholarly journals covering general reference, business, health, social sciences, humanities, education, and general science. In addition, some articles contain images, including photographs, diagrams and charts, and other illustrations. Years of coverage vary by source but generally begin from 1996 on.

 

Search Tips: To ensure that you obtain references to scholarly articles, check the box that is labeled "peer-reviewed". To obtain full text articles, check the box labeled "full text". The articles and citations can be emailed [for keeping your search records accurately].

Dissertations and Theses [RU Libraries-Specific]

Use this resource to find citations, abstracts, and in recent years (since 1997), sample pages of the beginning of the dissertation. Use InterLibrary Loan (ILL) to borrow dissertations.

 

Search Tips: This resource can be used to find dissertations by school, particular mentor, as well as subject and topic. Use the FIELDS for refined searches, i.e., finding dissertations by School, Author, Advisor.

 

The database includes citations for materials ranging from the first U.S. dissertation, accepted in 1861, to those accepted as recently as last semester; those published from 1980 forward also include 350-word abstracts, written by the author. Citations for master's theses from 1988 forward include 150-word abstracts. Of the 1.5 million titles listed, UMI offers over a million in full text. For these titles, the database citation includes UMI's order number. The database represents the work of authors from over 1,000 North American graduate schools and European universities.

 

Dates covered: 1861 - present" [from database description].

Education Index, 1932- . [RU Libraries]

Long-established, major index to educational publications in English. Periodicals, yearbooks and monographs are included as is a listing of citations to book reviews. Search Tips: This is one index that can be used to obtain a historical perspective on a topic. Simply use the same search term over a number of selected years.

ALEXANDER REF. AI3.E23

ERIC, Educational Resources Information Center (1966 - present) (OVID)

Providers:

  -Government version Use this for recently added resources.

  - OVID

The major research tool for education which indexes journal articles on educational topics from the Current Index to Journals in Education [tagged EJ] and abstracts educational documents and reports [tagged ED].

 

Search Tips: Use the online thesaurus, enter each search item and combine after entering the relevant terms. Each term entered is a separate search until combined with the Boolean operators "AND"", "OR", seen at the top of the search screen.

 

Use the ERIC Thesaurus of ERIC Descriptors: listed under TOOLS, Press Tools, then it is at the top of the listing. The Thesaurus of ERIC descriptors is available in print: ALEXANDER REF AI3.C82

Exceptional Child Education Resources, 1969-present [RU Libraries]

Covers the professional literature in special and gifted education and related disciplines. Books, journal articles and other print and non print resources are abstracted.

ALEXANDER REF LC3965.E9

LLBA, Linguistics and Language Behavior Abstracts (1973-present) [RU Libraries]

Non evaluative abstracts of book and journal literature in language behavior, linguistics and related disciplines and book reviews.

PAIS International and Archive (1972 - present) [RU Libraries-Specific]

Index with abstracts covering the full range of political, social, and public policy issues including education, and any topics that are or might become the subject of legislation. Covers selected journal articles, books, statistics, yearbooks, directories, conference proceedings, pamphlets, reports, government documents (worldwide), and microfiche.

PsycINFO (1887 - present) (OVID) [RU Libraries-Specific]

PsycINFO covers the professional and academic literature in psychology and related disciplines including medicine, psychiatry, nursing, sociology, education, linguistics, and other areas. Coverage is worldwide, and includes references and abstracts to over 1300 journals and dissertations in more than 30 languages, and to book chapters and books in the English language. Over 50,000 references are added annually. PsycARTICLES, added recently, provides full text articles in selected journals.

 

Search Tips: Use the online thesaurus, enter each search item and combine after entering the relevant terms. Each term entered is a separate search until combined with the Boolean operators "AND" "OR", seen at the top of the search screen. Limit your search to “human subjects”.

The Web of Science [RU Libraries-Specific]

Includes an enhanced web version of the Social Sciences Citation Index for the period 1994 forward. The Web of Science is an international, multidisciplinary index to cited authors, that is, the search starts with an identified author, tracing the citation, by others, to his/her particular work(s). Expand your bibliography by using the cited links.

Social Science Citation Index (1973-1993) [RU Libraries]

The print copy version of the Index is available in the Reference Department of Alexander Library at this call number:

ALEXANDER REF. Z7161.S65