Best Bets for Starting Your Research in...
:: Education ::
Use databases to find articles
on your topic. These databases are the best place to start.
- ERIC
The ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) database is
sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education to provide extensive
access to educational-related journal articles and documents.
Date coverage: 1966-present.
- ProQuest Education Journals
Over 745 top educational publications, including nearly 600 of the
titles in full text. Covers not only the literature on primary,
secondary, and higher education but also special education, home
schooling, adult education, and hundreds of related topics.
Date coverage: 1988-present.
- PsycINFO
Nearly 2.3 million citations and summaries of scholarly journal
articles, book chapters, books, and dissertations, all in psychology
and related disciplines, including medicine, psychiatry, nursing,
sociology, education, pharmacology, physiology,
linguistics, anthropology, business, law and others.  Listen
to a fun podcast "interview" with this database: iTunes RealPlayer
Date coverage: 1872-present.
- Academic OneFile
A premier source for peer-reviewed,
full-text articles from leading journals and reference sources. With
extensive coverage of the physical sciences, technology, medicine, social
sciences, the arts, theology, literature and other subjects,
Academic OneFile is both authoritative and comprehensive. With millions
of articles available in both PDF and HTML full-text with no
restrictions, researchers are able to find accurate information
quickly. Includes full-text coverage of the New York Times back to 1995.
Date coverage: 1983-present.
Listen to a fun podcast "interview" with this database: iTunes RealPlayer
- Databases for K-12 Students
iCONN provides "Kids InfoBits, InfoTrac Junior Edition, InfoTrac Student Edition, and Student Research Center - History & Science for all Connecticut Residents.
Tips: When searching
databases, use AND, OR, and parentheses
to focus your search.
The asterisk * symbol will search for all variations of a word. For
example: intell* will search for intellect and intelligent and intellectual. Using quotes
will search for a phrase.
Combine synonyms with OR and put them inside parentheses, like this:
("performance based assessment" OR "authentic
assessment") AND math*
Here's another example:
instruction AND history AND (inquiry OR
discovery)
Already have the citation? Find an article with citation linker!
Did you know...
Databases are
basically just search engines for
articles on specific subjects.
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Find books using the library
catalog. Browse these subjects
to get general information on your topic.
- Education
- Teaching
- Learning
- Critical Thinking
- Educational Tests and Measurements
Search the library catalog! Find books, media
materials, and more.
Other searches:
Browse | Advanced Search
Tips: When searching
the library catalog with keywords, use the dollar sign
($) to search for a word and all of its variations.
For example: Teach$
will search for teachers or teaching
Did you know...
- WorldCat is a catalog of thousands
of libraries around the world!
- If a book isn't in the Fairfield University
catalog, search WorldCat and request the book from
another library. Just click on the Interlibrary Loan button
- You can search ReQuest to search just the libraries
in Connecticut.
- Contact John
Cayer, Interlibrary Services, with questions.
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Reference tools such as dictionaries
and encyclopedias are good places to
start your research because they provide an overview of
the topic as well as keywords,
dates, and facts.
Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, Guides, Indexes & Yearbooks
- The Educator's Desk Reference
(EDR) : a Sourcebook of Educational Information and Research
Ref. LB1028.27 .U6 F74 2002
- Encyclopedia of Education
Ref. LB15 .E47 2003 V. 1-8
- Mental
Measurements Yearbook
Descriptive information, critical reviews, and list of references
accompany entries on commercially published English language tests.
Includes the 9th to 16th Yearbooks. The Library owns the print versions of the 1st-15th
Yearbooks in the reference collection: Ref LB3051.B87.
- Requirements for Certification of Teachers, Counselors, Librarians, Administrators for Elementary and Secondary Schools
Ref.
LB1771 .R48 71ST ED. 2006-07
- Tests in Print VII : an Index to Tests, Test Reviews, and the Literature on Specific Tests
Ref.
LB3051 .T48 2006
- World Education Encyclopedia : a Survey of Educational Systems Worldwide
Ref.
LB15 .W87 2002 V. 1-3
Tips: Try looking at
the bibliography at the end
of the entry for a list of other sources
such as relevant journal articles and books.
When you have found books on your topic, look
at the books on the shelf nearby to see if they are
related to your topic.
Did you know...
Wikipedia
can be edited by anyone,
so make sure you use another source to
confirm the information you find there.
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These web sites have been evaluated
by librarians (that's a good thing) for your use in an
academic setting.
Did you know...
There are billions of web pages and Google
only finds a fraction of them (about 15%). The rest is
held in what's called the "Invisible Web", which is made up
of dynamically generated information, password protected sites, and
databases-driven sites!
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Use these short e-learning modules to get quick
answers!
Still have questions?
Ramona Islam , Senior Reference Librarian and Instruction Coordinator
By phone at (203) 254-4000 ext. 2138
By e-mail at rislam@mail.fairfield.edu
IM the Reference Desk at FairfieldULib - AOL and Yahoo
FairfieldUlib@hotmail.com - MSN
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