This document provides guidance on conducting research for education topics. It outlines key resources like the library catalog, databases like Education Research Complete and ERIC, and Google Scholar. It recommends limiting database searches to scholarly materials and using subject headings and quotation marks. The document also discusses citation chasing, saving and organizing articles using RefWorks, and getting assistance from the library or liaison librarian.

1. Jennifer Thiessen Liaison Librarian, Education

2. Finding books and articles Library Catalogues and Databases Citation chasing (using a reference list) Google Scholar; Google Books Saving, storing and managing articles (Refworks)

3. Know what is appropriate: Scholarly, academic, peer-reviewed material Balance between non-scholarly and scholarly, if appropriate E.g. curriculum documents, contemporary thought, gray lit Material that presents empirical data/evidence to back up claims, not just opinions Web? Know where to begin searching: Library catalogues Library databases – Education Research Complete, ERIC, Educational Administration Abstracts, Sage Journals Online

4. They gather a lot of information on one topic in one place They can provide a good overview or good background information on a topic They often offer extensive bibliographies Consider reference materials E.g. 21 st Century Education [electronic resource]

5. Our library catalogue Other Ontario universities WorldCat – http://www.worldcat.org Use keywords

6. Journal articles discuss one perspective Each article makes a unique contribution Articles can supplement information found first in books Articles can offer more up-to-date information

8. Click on Education to see a list of databases for that subject area. Click on Research, then Databases.

9. Click on a database name, then start searching.

10. Recommended: Education Research Complete ; ERIC , SAGE Tips: Limit to scholarly (peer reviewed) journals Look for descriptors (or subject headings) for more focused results Use quotation marks for bound phrase searching (“standardized testing” ) Not all articles are available online in full text format “ Get it” button looks for the full text throughout all of the Library’s databases

11. http://scholar.google.ca/ Caveats: Google Scholar does not have nearly the number of publisher agreements as are available through our 300+ library databases. Use the Get it! @Brock option to get back to full-text items from our databases (rather than going to a publisher’s page and paying them for information). Use Google Scholar in conjunction with RACER, our interlibrary loan system at Brock University.

12. Have you found a fantastic article (either from a database search or your reading list)? Use the reference list of that article (esp. if it is a recent article) to find additional relevant articles

14. Search for TITLE (of book) OR JOURNAL TITLE http://www.library.brocku.ca/ What if Brock doesn’t have it? Use RACER (Interlibrary Loan) to request it Borrow from another University library

15. Refworks Build your own database of information Citations and links to the full text Create multiple folders Allows you to create formatted bibliographies (in APA, etc.) RefWorks allows you to create in-text references.

16. The Concept: database reference(s) * optional * produce bibliography bibliographic management software export

17. Visit the Graduate Education Research Guide or Education Course Pages See the Help pages Contact the Library Help Desk 905-688-5550 x. 3233 or use email form Contact your liaison librarian: Jennifer Thiessen (phone, chat, email)