Library Guides: Library Resources for Special Education Students: Databases: ERIC

Education Databases

You will find a full listing of Education Databases here. These reflect the range, diversity, breadth, and inclusivity of the field of education, indexing a wide variety and range of data. ERIC, Education Full Text, PsycINFO with PsycARTICLES, and Academic Search Complete are extremely helpful in generating hits for many searches relevant to this discipline.

Note that there is a description for each database available. If you click more... at the end of one of these entries, there is additional information about that database including date coverage, number of users, and truncation symbols.

Truncation Symbols:

The asterisk (*) allows you to cut a word at a logical point and get a number of variations on that word in your results. Example: child* will include results with child, child’s, children, children’s, or childhood.
The question mark (?) can be used to replace a single letter in a word. Example: wom?n means your results will include both woman and women.

Boolean Operators:

AND narrows your search to results which include ALL of your search terms.
OR broadens your search to results which include ANY of your search terms.
NOT excludes words from your search so that the database will ignore concepts which may be implied by your search terms.

This diagram illustrates the function of the Boolean Operators.

For further information on searching a database, check out a Brief Guide to Resources for Research: Database Search Tips.

ERIC

1. Please note that the ERIC database screen you see will look different but have the same options available. In its online format, ERIC unless otherwise stipulated by the searcher, consists of the Current Index to Journals in Education (CIJE) and Resources in Education (RIE), usually referred to as ERIC documents that includes an array of education related material ranging from lesson plans, through conference proceedings, reports, books, white papers and many other types of materials. You are in Advanced Search that contrary to its name is actually in many respects simpler and more efficient to execute than Basic Search and for that reason is the default search for many of the MU databases.
2. I have entered *“special education”* in the first box and *mainstreaming* in the second with both in the Abstract field. Quotation marks enclose “special education” in order to ensure that the string is searched as a single phrase and not as special and education as separate concepts. On the left of the second and third boxes is the word AND. AND, OR, and NOT are the Boolean Operators. In searching, AND limits while OR increases. Let me demonstrate this by conducting the search—*click Search*—as it is now entered.
3. This results in 529 hits (the number of hits retrieved by a specific search can change over time). Click on Modify search.
4. This returns us to the main search screen where I change the Boolean Operator AND to OR and then click Search.
5. I now have 24438 hits. This is because this new search looked for mainstreaming as a concept separate from “special education.”
6. Recall this diagram which illustrates the function of the Boolean Operators.
7. Let us return to our original search. This time we will use some of the other search options as well. Click ERIC journals only. (This excludes the ERIC Documents that comprise a significant portion of the overall database.) As for date, let us limit the search to the 21st Century (after this date—December 31 1999). Language, Education level, and Target audience can also limit the search. I am not interested in these additional limiters at this point, and will click Search at the bottom of the screen.
8. We are now down to 18 hits. A couple of these hits are full text and only require you to click Link to ERIC full text. Most however are not full text, at least in this database, and you should click the "Find it at MU" button. The results of clicking "Find it at MU" will vary from item-to-item. In some instances, the article will be available through MU resources while other times, you will be directed to Interlibrary Loan as an option.
9. My clicking on the box to the left of those records indicates my interest in them.
10. Now scroll to the top of the screen and click on 4 Selected Items.
11. I now have several options available to me regarding how to deal with these items. I am going to email them to myself.
12. I have selected APA formatting for citations, entered my email address, provided my name and clicked Continue.
13. I now have this confirmation message.

14. To save your search, click Recent searches in the top right hand corner of the screen.
15. Select the check box next to the search you want to save. Click Actions and select Save Search.
16. You must now sign in or create an account.
17. Once you are signed in, you must Name the search and save it.
18. You would later click on the My Research link in the upper right hand corner of the ERIC screen to see your saved search(es). To receive emails alerting you to new publications on your subject click Create Alert.
19. Complete the form Create Alert form and click Create Alert button.

Library Resources for Special Education Students

Education Databases

ERIC

ERIC Quiz