University Library at St. Cloud State University

ED 200: Introduction to Education

Facts and background information
Credo Reference Restricted Resource Some full text availabledatabase eref ebook
Provides online access to over 500 reference books (encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, etc.) in all subject areas. This is the premier place to look up a quick fact or to search for background information on a research topic.

21st Century Education: A Reference Handbook Restricted Resource Some full text availableeref ebook
Highlights the most important topics, issues, questions, and debates facing educators today.

Occupational Outlook Handbook Unrestricted Resource
Nationally recognized source of career information, designed to provide valuable assistance to individuals making decisions about their future work lives. Describes what workers do on the job, working conditions, the training and education needed, earnings, and expected job prospects in a wide range of occupations.

Nation's Report Card Unrestricted Resource
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the largest nationally representative and co​ntinuing assessment of what America's students know and can do in various subject areas.

U.S. Department of Education Unrestricted Resource
The Department of Education website includes valuable information on all levels of education, including statistical and financial information sources. The site provides a useful search engine.

Minnesota Department of Education
The Minnesota Department of Education website includes valuable information on K-12 education, including statistics, standards, and licensing. 

National Center for Education Statistics Unrestricted Resource
This official agency site includes: Education Statistics at a Glance which is comprised of The Condition of Education, The Digest of Education Statistics, and Projections of Education Statistics. In addition, there is a searchable database of NCES tables and figures. This search tool lets the user locate all tables/figures published in the inventory of NCES' "Education Statistics Quarterly"; the NEDRC (National Education Data Resource Center) Postsecondary Table Library; and many NCES publications.
Finding Scholarly Articles
ERIC (EBSCO) Restricted Resource Some full text availablefindit elm database
ERIC is the primary database supporting research in all areas of education, including psychology, administration, and library science.



Professional Collection (Education) Restricted Resource findit database
The Professional Collection is a selection of more than 300 full-text journals for educators. It offers balanced coverage for any professional educator in the following areas: arts and humanities; child and adolescent psychology and development; drug and alcohol abuse; health/nutrition/fitness; learning disabilities; literature; school law; science and technology; social sciences; and sports/athletic training

Teacher Reference Center Restricted Resource Some full text availablefindit database
Provides indexing and abstracts for over 280 of the most popular teacher and administrator trade journals to assist professional educators.

Academic Search Premier (all topics) from EBSCO Restricted Resource Some full text availablefindit elm database
Full-text articles in biology, chemistry, education, engineering, humanities, physics, psychology, religion and theology, sociology, etc. Tip: Click the check box to limit to Academic (Peer Reviewed) Journals.
Tips for Database Searching
​1. Limits: To focus your search, use database features that allow you to specify criteria such as date and publication type such as peer-reviewed journals.

2. Sort Order: Note how your search results are displayed -- many databases sort by relevance rather than by date.

3. Subject Terms: Pay attention to the subject terms because they can lead to other relevant articles on your topic.

4. Get an Article: If the full text of the article is not available in the database you're searching, use 

5. Not Satisfied? If you are not finding relevant results about your topic, try different combinations of search terms, or select another database to search.

For more tips, watch "How Can I Develop an Effective Search Strategy?"
Advanced Tips for Literature Searches
Use the Thesaurus tool to find the terms that the databases use to describe the concepts that you are searching. Review the scope note as well as broader, narrower, and related terms that you can use in your searches.

Find one good article on your topic, read the introduction/literature review section and identify other articles that the author(s) used for their research, locate the citations for those articles in the bibliography and search for those articles.

Also, check to see if others have cited that article. Search for the author or title of an article in the Cited References option at the top of Communication & Mass Media Complete.
United States Education Statistics
National Center for Education Statistics Unrestricted Resource
This official agency site includes: Education Statistics at a Glance which is comprised of The Condition of Education, The Digest of Education Statistics, and Projections of Education Statistics. In addition, there is a searchable database of NCES tables and figures. This search tool lets the user locate all tables/figures published in the inventory of NCES' "Education Statistics Quarterly"; the NEDRC (National Education Data Resource Center) Postsecondary Table Library; and many NCES publications.


Condition of Education
Summarizes important developments and trends in education using the latest available data.

Indicators of School Crime and Safety
Annual publication, covers topics such as victimization, teacher injury, bullying, school conditions, fights, weapons, availability and student use of drugs and alcohol, and student perceptions of personal safety at school.

State Education Data Profiles
Provides information on education by state and allows for comparisons of up to four states at once.
Subject Specialist
Picture: Robin Ewing

Robin Ewing
Professor, Research Librarian
MC 204F
(320) 308-2093
rlewing@stcloudstate.edu

Ask a Librarian

Click to access email (answered usually within an hour during regular Reference Desk hours), chat (available 24 / 7), phone numbers for SCSU Reference Desk, and online form to set up a one-on-one (in person or via telephone) research consultation with a librarian. I can meet with you in-person, by phone, or via Zoom.
Related Guides
Professional Associations and Unions
ASCD
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development focuses on curriculum and supervision and provides professional development for educational leadership and capacity building. 

American Federation of Teachers 
The American Federation of Teachers is a union of professionals that advocates for economic opportunity, public education, healthcare, and public services for students. 

Association for Middle Level Education 
Works to advance the education of all students ages 10 to 15.

Council for Exceptional Children
Works to improve the educational success of students with disabilities and/or gifts and talents.

Education Minnesota
Education Minnesota is a union of professional educators that advocates for public education in Minnesota.

National Association of Secondary School Principals

National Education Association   
National professional employee organization committed to advancing the cause of public education. 

National Council for History Education

National Council for the Social Studies 

National Council of Teachers of English

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

National Science Teachers Association 
Finding Scholarly Articles on the Job
After you graduate from SCSU, you can still access scholarly journal articles through ELM (eLibraryMN). You may need a barcode or identification number from your local public library to sign into these databases.

ELM: Electronic Library for Minnesota Unrestricted Resource elm database
ELM (eLibraryMN) gives Minnesota residents online access to magazine, journal, newspaper and encyclopedia articles; media including images, videos, audio files; and other information resources via a selection of databases.

On the eLibraryMN homepage, click  All Databases. Academic Search Premier, Business Source Premier, and several other databases are available for you to search.

If you find an article that isn't available in full text, you may be able to order it through interlibrary loan at your public library.


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