USING THE ODU LIBRARY

Go to www.lib.odu.edu and select Information Resources. Then select Education or ERIC (OVID). If you have trouble accessing the library call them and provide your University ID.

Other search engines:

• Google
• Yahoo
• Alta Vista
• Hotbot
• and other commercially available Dialog or IQuest

To find general resource information and specific articles:

Search terms: Author, Title, Subject, Descriptors, Keyword

Descriptors: are efficient but also hard to find, may change, may not match needs (remember to use thesaurus-on internet use http://ericae.net/scripts/ewiz/amain2.asp or through ODU library use ERIC (OVID) ( Key words: use natural language, may involve synonyms, may retrieve “junk”. (full text or abstract needs to be available)
Search terms may be combined : or broadens, and limits, not excludes, ? or * uses root word.

From print: ERIC (CIJE, RIE), Education Index, Psychological Abstracts (Psychlit or PsycINFO), Index Medicus (Medline), Sociological Abstracts, Child Development Abstracts and Bibliography, Language and Language Behavior Abstracts,(all the preceding are available electronically through the internet then through the ODU library). Exceptional Child Education Resources is available only in print.

From internet: Ask ERIC (full text is available if you are a subscriber) , Education Abstracts( electronic version of Education Index) or ODU library through ERIC(first search) or ERIC (OVID).

Bibliographies: are available from ERIC at http://www.clearinghouse.net/ and at http://ericir.syr.edu/Virtual/InfoGuides

To find reviews and overviews: Encyclopedia’s -Educational Research, Higher Education, International Encyclopedia of Education.
AERA handbooks on: long list-most recent Educational Psychology, School Supervision, Educational Communications and Technology.

Several review journals or yearbooks: Review of Educational Research, Review of Research in Education, Educational Psychology Review, Yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education or in regular journals that carry reviews.

To find books: Use Books in Print (cumbersome), http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/disciplines/books.html , ODU’s library catalog, or ODU library on line then WorldCat on the information resources page.

Government documents: Index to U.S. Government Periodicals, Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications
( GOTOBUTTON BM_1_ http://www.access.gpo.gov/sudocs/dpos/adpos/adpos400.html) and others go to OERI (Office of Educational Research and Improvement) at http://www.ed.gov/offices/OERI or regular indexes such as ERIC, or go to ODU library page and pick Government and Marcive.

Dissertations and theses: Dissertations Abstracts International

Citation indexes: Social Science Citation Index - print only

Research in progress or recently completed: Smithsonian Science Information Exchange

News and media: Use Newspaper and Periodical Abstracts or those for specific papers(at a cost through Dialog or IQuest) or ODU library information page News and Media

Tests, Measurement, Assessment and Evaluation: you can search the ERIC clearinghouse for assessment and evaluation at http://ericae.net/scripts/ewiz/amain2.asp or Mental Measurements Yearbook, PRO-ED Test Critiques (available through ODU library and on line-has several indexes), Educational Testing Service Test File at http://ericae.net/testcol.htm#ETSTF or in The ETS Test Collection or Test Collection Bibliographies (the ODU library has these).

Special Documents-Pamphlets: mostly just in print from Educators guide to.....Free Science Materials...Social Studies materials available from Educators Progress Service.