ERIC

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ERIC

• Educational Resource Information Center
• The ERIC Database contains citations and
  abstracts from over 980 education and
  education-related journals.
• Also contains 2200 digests on education subjects.

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Whats in the ERIC Database?

• EJ ERIC Journal-Abstracts from Education
  journals
• ED ERIC Document- Abstracts of unpublished
  conference reports, teaching guides, book
  chapters, speeches, curriculum guides, research
  papers, brochures.
• ED ERIC Digests-Full-text two-page overviews of
  current education issues.

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Where Can You Search the Eric Database?

• The ERIC Web site at http//www.eric.ed.gov (Se
  e this Web site for upcoming changes to ERIC.)
• McQuade Librarys Web site www.noblenet.org/merr
  imack
• Find Articles and MoreDatabases On Campus or
  Databases Off CampusEbscoHostERIC (If you
  are off campus, at the prompt, enter the barcode
  number on the back of your Merrimack ID)

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Thesaurus

• A standardized controlled vocabulary.
• Descriptors/Subject headings/ Index terms-- same
  meaning
• Provides the language of the database.Example
  -Social Skills, the ERIC descriptor is
  interpersonal competence.-Ungraded classes,
  the ERIC descriptor is nongraded instructional
  grouping.
• Links to other databases. (Not all articles
  available in full-text).
• McQuade Library Periodicals Room 2nd Floor.
• Interlibrary Loan

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Ways to Search

• Basic Search
• Advanced Search
• Thesaurus

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What If I Only Want Journal Articles?

• See Limit your results near the bottom of the
  search screen.
• Defaults to blank which will retrieve both
  documents and journal articles
• From the pull-down bar, select Journal or Document

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How Do I Get Copies of ERIC Journal Articles?

• Links to other databases that contain full-text.
• McQuade Library Periodicals Room 2nd Floor.
• Interlibrary Loan
• Document Suppliers - Not Free

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How Do I Get Copies of ERIC Documents?

• Interlibrary Loan. Free
• ERIC Document Reproduction Service (EDRS) at
  http//www.edrs.com. Not Free
• Go to a library that has an ED microfiche
  collection. See directory at http//ericae.net/d
  erc.htm

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Searching Tip 1Use ERIC Descriptors

• Search the Thesaurus.
• Browse the list of subject headings .
• Type your search term in the Find Box

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Searching TIP 2 Use Several Search Terms

• For example, to find material about college
  transfer, use all three of these ERIC
  descriptors -college transfer
  students -transfer policy -transfer programs

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Searching TIP 3 Use Descriptors From Relevant
Abstracts

• First do a basic keyword search in ERIC.
• Find a relevant abstract.
• Look at the list of Descriptors.
• Do a new search using one or more of those
  descriptors.

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Searching TIP 4 Use AND and OR Search Commands

• The AND command narrows your search finding
  abstracts that contain all of your search terms.
  suicide AND adolescents
• The OR command broadens your search, finding
  abstracts that contain at least one of your
  search terms. adolescents OR teenagers

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Searching Tip 5 Truncating and Phrasing

• Use an asterisk to truncate for various word
  endings.
• Example Parent will return parent, parents,
  parental, parenting, parenthood.
• Use quotations marks for phrases.
• Example team teaching

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Searching Tip 6 Author Search

• Type au last name, first name/initial in Basic
  Search box in ERIC.
• Or type last name, first name/initial with field
  AU selected in Advanced Search.

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Searching Tip 7 Finding Research Articles

• In Advanced Search in ERIC, select Publication
  Type.
• Select Reports - Research/Technical.

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Searching Tip 8 Finding Literature Reviews

• Type su literature reviews in Basic Search box
  combined with descriptors or keywords.
• Or type literature reviews with field SU selected
  in Advanced Search.

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Citing ERIC Materials

• McQuade Library WebsiteResearch and
  ReferenceHow to Cite Sources
• Publication Manual of the American Psychological
  Association, 5th ed.,2001 REF BF76.7.P83
• Online at http//www.apa.org