ERIC Slide Show

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ERIC Slide Show
A Tour of the Educational Resources Information
Center
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What Is ERIC?

• ERIC is the Educational Resources Information
  Center a federally funded, nationwide
  information network designed to provide you with
  ready access to education literature.
• ERIC is a program of the U.S. Department of
  Education and is administered by the National
  Library of Education.

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The ERIC System
ERIC consists of a network of 16 subject-specific
clearinghouses, plus adjunct clearinghouses, and
support components. The clearinghouses cover
these areas

• Adult, career, and vocational education
• Assessment and evaluation
• Community colleges
• Counseling and student services
• Disabilities and gifted education
• Educational management
• Elementary and early childhood education
• Higher education

• Information technology
• Languages and linguistics
• Reading, English, and communication
• Rural education and small schools
• Science, mathematics, and environmental education
• Social studies/social science education
• Teaching and teacher education
• Urban education

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U.S. Department of Education Institute of
Education Sciences National Library of Education
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What Can You Get From ERIC?

• The ERIC Database
• Abstracts of more than 1 million journal
  articles, research reports, books, teaching
  guides, and other types of education literature.
  ERIC can also provide you with copies of many
  documents abstracted in the database.
• ERIC Digests
• Two-page summaries of more than 2,400 education
  topics.
• AskERIC
• An e-mail question-answering service with
  response in two business days.
• National Parent Information Network
• A Web site with thousands of resources for
  parents and caregivers.

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What Else Can You Get From ERIC?

• Help from subject experts
• Information Specialists in 16 subject-specific
  clearinghouses are available via toll-free phone,
  e-mail, mail, or fax.
• ERIC-produced publications
• More than 1,400 books, monographs, journals, and
  other publications.
• Content-rich Web sites
• Clearinghouse Web sites linked together by the
  main ERIC site.
• Plus
• Lesson plans, a conference calendar, and much
  more.

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What Would You Like To Know About ERIC?

• The ERIC Database
• Whats in the ERIC Database?
• Where Can You Search the ERIC Database?
• Tips on Searching ERIC
• How To Get Copies of ERIC Database Materials
• How To Contribute Your Work to ERIC
• ERIC Products and Services
• ERIC Digests
• AskERIC
• National Parent Information Network
• Help From Subject Experts
• ERIC-Produced Publications
• Content-Rich Web Sites

Start Here
Start Here
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The ERIC Database
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Whats in the ERIC Database?

• Journal Articles
• 600,000 abstracts of articles from more than
  1,000 journals (EJs)
• ERIC Documents
• 440,000 abstracts of research papers, books,
  conference presentations, curriculum guides, and
  much more (EDs)

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Heres a sample journal article abstract from the
ERIC database

• ERIC NO EJ642302
• TITLE The Impact of Immigration Policy on
  Education Reform Implications for the New
  Millennium.
• AUTHOR Contreras, A. Reynaldo
• JOURNAL CITATION Education and Urban Society
  v34 n2 p134-55 Feb 2002
• DESCRIPTORS Diversity (Student) Immigrants
  Urban Education
• IDENTIFIERS Immigration and Nationality Act
  1965 Immigration Legislation
• ABSTRACT Analyzes how immigration policy affects
  educators' efforts to teach in schools serving
  immigrant families
• (Note This is a partial abstract.)

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Heres a sample ERIC document abstract

• ERIC NO ED460788
• TITLE Highland Elementary School. Learning by
  Example Series.
• AUTHOR Fager, Jennifer
• DESCRIPTORS Change Strategies Educational
  Practices Educational Quality Partnerships in
  Education Reading Achievement
• IDENTIFIERS Salem Public Schools OR
• ABSTRACT As part of a series of stories about
  real-world schools that have achieved substantial
  success in school improvement over multiple-year
  periods, this report provides an in-depth look at
  one school's efforts to improve student learning
• PUBLICATION DATE 2002
• (Note This is a partial abstract.)

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Where Can You Search the ERIC Database?

• On any computer with an Internet connection
• Go to http//www.eric.ed.gov and click on ERIC
  Database Search.
• At many university and public libraries
• Call 1800LETERIC for the location nearest you.
• Search the Directory of ERIC Resource
  Collectionshttp//oeri4.ed.gov/BASISDB/EROD/eric/
  SF
• You can also subscribe to the database on CD-ROM
  and have your own copy.
• Call 1800799ERIC for price and ordering
  information.

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Tips on Searching the ERIC Database

• The ERIC database has more than 1 million
  abstracts on education, so theres probably
  information in ERIC on your topic.
• Youll find the abstracts most relevant to your
  topic if you learn and use these tips on
  searching ERIC. . .

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To get the best search results

• TIP 1 Find and use ERIC descriptors.
• TIP 2 Use several search terms.
• TIP 3 Use the descriptors from the most
  relevant abstracts to find more abstracts.
• TIP 4 Use AND and OR search commands.

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TIP 1 Find and use ERIC descriptors

• Every abstract in ERIC is indexed with subject
  terms called descriptors.
• Title Profiles of Native Language Education
  Programs. A Source Book for Arkansas, Louisiana,
  New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.
• Descriptors American Indian Education
  American Indian Languages Community Education
  Elementary Secondary Education Higher Education
  Language Maintenance Native Language
  Instruction Preschool Education Profiles
  Program Descriptions Second Language
  Instruction Teacher Education Tribes
• (Notice that the title refers to native language
  education programs. The ERIC descriptor for this
  concept is native language instruction. ERIC
  descriptors under discussion are shown in red in
  this slide show).

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Examples of ERIC Descriptors

• For the concept social skills, the ERIC
  descriptor is interpersonal competence.
• For the concept ungraded classes, the ERIC
  descriptor is nongraded instructional grouping.

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How do you find ERIC descriptors?

• ERIC descriptors are listed in The Thesaurus of
  ERIC Descriptors.
• Use the Thesaurus on-line at http//www.ericfacili
  ty.net/extra/pub/thessearch.cfm or at libraries
  that offer ERIC.
• Use search engines that include the Thesaurus.
• Call an ERIC Clearinghouse toll-free for
  descriptors and help with your search strategy.

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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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TIP 3 Use the descriptors from the most relevant
abstracts to find additional abstracts.

• Example You could search for abstracts on
  retaining young children in the same grade using
  the term retention and find
• Title Retention and Its Effect on Low Level
  Readers. Descriptors Grade Repetition Low
  Achievement Primary Education Program
  Effectiveness Reading Achievement Reading
  Research Student Promotion Urban Education
• Now use the descriptor grade repetition to run
  another search.

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Searching the descriptor grade repetition, will
find additional related abstracts, such as these
titles

• Title Differences in Social Adjustment and
  Classroom Behavior between Children Retained in
  Kindergarten and Groups of Age and Grade Matched
  Peers.
• Descriptors Grade Repetition Kindergarten
  Children Social Adjustment Student
  Adjustment Student Behavior. . .
• Title Does an Extra Year (Junior First Grade)
  Enhance Academic Ability and Self-Concept of
  Academic Ability?
• Descriptors Academic Ability Academic
  Achievement Age Differences Elementary School
  Students Grade Repetition Grade 1
  Kindergarten Self Concept. . .

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TIP 4 Use AND and OR search commands

• The AND command narrows your search, finding
  abstracts that contain all of your search terms.
• For example, searching learning disabilities AND
  higher education finds
• Title Accommodating College Students with
  Learning Disabilities How Much Is Enough?
• Descriptors College Administration College
  Faculty College Instruction College
  Students Ethics Federal Regulation Higher
  Education Learning Disabilities Public
  Policy Student Rights Teacher Role

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Heres an example of an effective use of the AND
command

• Search topic
• Prevention of adolescent suicide
• Search strategy
• prevention AND adolescents AND suicide

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The OR command broadens your search, finding
abstracts that contain at least one of your
search terms.

• For example, searching learning disabilities OR
  higher education finds
• Title Word Boxes Help Children with Learning
  Disabilities Identify and Spell Words.
• Descriptors Beginning Reading Elementary
  Education Learning Disabilities ...
• Title American Higher Education in the
  Twenty-First Century Social, Political and
  Economic Challenges.
• Descriptors College Role Educational Policy
  Educational Trends Futures (of Society)
  Higher Education

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Heres an example of an effective use of the OR
command

• Search topic
• Ungraded classes
• Search strategy
• nongraded instructional grouping OR mixed age
  grouping OR multigraded classes

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Advanced Search Tip!

• You can use both AND and OR commands in your
  search.
• Search topic
• Benefits of vocational education
• Search strategy
• vocational education program effectiveness
  
• OR OR
• technical education AND educational benefits
  
• OR
• trade and industrial education

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More Advanced Search Tips
There are several other ways to refine your
search, including the following

• Limiting by datefor example, material produced
  in the last 5 years.
• Limiting by publication typefor example, program
  descriptions, research, or teaching guides.

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• A word about search engines . . .
• You can search the ERIC database on CD-ROM,
  through online vendors, and on several free Web
  sites. Search engines associated with each of
  these methods can vary. When you select a search
  site or CD-ROM, take a moment to review the tips
  on how to use the search engine.

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Sample ERIC Search Engine

http//www.ericfacility.net/search/
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How To Get Copies of ERIC Database Materials

• ERIC Documents (EDs)
• Copies of most ERIC Documents are available on
  microfiche at university and public libraries.
  For a fee, you can also order paper, microfiche,
  or electronic copies from
• ERIC Document Reproduction Service (EDRS)
• 1800443ERIC
• http//www.edrs.com
• Find out whether your favorite library offers
  ESubscribe, which provides patrons with
  electronic copies of ERIC documents.

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ERIC Journal Articles (EJs)

• Copies of journal articles abstracted in ERIC can
  be found in library periodical collections or
  purchased from the following article reprint
  services
• Ingenta
• 18002962221
• http//www.ingenta.com
• Institute for Scientific Information
• 18003364474
• http//www.isinet.com
• You can also write to the journal publishers for
  copies. Addresses of publishers are available on
  the Facilitys Web site at http//www.ericfacilit
  y.net/extra/pub/sjisearch.cfm

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How To Contribute Your Work to ERIC

• ERIC collects a variety of materials on a wide
  range of topics. Examples of materials in the
  database include
• books lesson plans
• research reports bibliographies
• manuals/handbooks tests
• speeches/conference papers program
  descriptions
• To have your material considered for inclusion in
  the ERIC database, send one legible copy along
  with a Reproduction Release Form
  (http//ericfac.piccard.csc.com/reprod.html) to
• an ERIC Clearinghouse that covers your topic, or
• the ERIC Processing and Reference Facility
• For more information on submitting your work,
  call the Facility at 1800799ERIC

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ERIC Products and Services
The ERICDatabase
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ERIC Digests

• The ERIC Clearinghouses have produced more than
  2,400 ERIC Digests. These two-page,
  research-synthesis papers provide brief overviews
  of current education issues. They are frequently
  in question-and-answer format and always include
  a list of additional resources.
• ERIC Digests can be found via http//www.ericfacil
  ity.net/ericdigests/index/

The ERICDatabase
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AskERIC

• AskERIC is a personalized, Internet-based service
  that will answer your education-related
  questionsusually in two working days. AskERIC
  responses include
• a list of ERIC database abstracts on your topic
• relevant full-text materials, such as ERIC
  Digests (if available)
• referrals to related organizations
• suggested Web sites on your topic
• Send your questions to askeric_at_askeric.org

The ERICDatabase
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National Parent Information Network (NPIN)
NPIN provides parents and those who work with
parents with a variety of resources, including
Parent News, a bimonthly online magazine for
parents Parents AskERIC, an e-mail
question-answering service and lots of useful
information grouped into categories such as

• Assessment and Testing
• Child Care (all ages)
• Children and the Media
• Children with Special Needs
• Children's Health and Nutrition
• Early ChildhoodLearning

• Families, Technology, and Education
• Helping Children Learn at Home
• Parents and Schools as Partners
• Teens (1420)

Try NPIN at http//npin.org
The ERICDatabase
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Help From Subject Experts

• ERIC Information Specialists are available to
  help you locate the information you need. These
  subject experts can
• Give you tips on searching the ERIC database on
  your topic.
• Send you free and low-cost ERIC publications.
• Suggest Web sites and other resources on your
  topic.
• To reach ERIC Information Specialists
• Contact ACCESS ERIC
• 1800LETERIC
• accesseric_at_accesseric.org
• http//www.eric.ed.gov
• ACCESS ERIC will refer you to the ERIC
  Clearinghouse that covers your area of interest.

The ERICDatabase
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ERIC-Produced Publications

• ERIC Clearinghouses and components offer an array
  of books, monographs, journals, and other
  publications.
• To find out whats available, contact ACCESS ERIC
  or the clearinghouses.

The ERICDatabase
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Content-Rich Web Sites

• All ERIC components have Web sites. These sites
  provide you with copies of ERIC Digests,
  information on other ERIC-produced publications,
  virtual libraries of full-text material from
  other sources, electronic journals, and links to
  related Web sites. The next two slides show the
  home pages of two ERIC Clearinghouse Web sites.

The ERICDatabase
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http//eric-web.tc.columbia.edu/
The ERICDatabase
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http//www.ericsp.org/
The ERICDatabase
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• All ERIC Web sites are linked together by the
  main ERIC site

http//www.eric.ed.gov
The ERICDatabase
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• ERIC also features
• Lesson planscontains more than 2000 unique
  lesson plans which have been written and
  submitted to AskERIC by teachers from all over
  the United States and the world
  http//askeric.org/Virtual/Lessons/
• A Conference Calendara searchable database of
  more than 600 education-related conferences
  http//www.eric.ed.gov

The ERICDatabase
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• For more information on ERIC, contact
• ACCESS ERIC
• http//www.eric.ed.gov
• accesseric_at_accesseric.org
• 1800LETERIC (5383742)