Educational Research: Finding Information

Not sure if University Libraries own a particular journal or magazine that is relevant to your field of research?  Use A-Z Journal Tracker to see if we currently provide access to that journal or magazine title.

The first thing to remember is that conducting good research is difficult!

1. As you think about your topic, develop a list of search terms
2. Decide where the information might be found:
1. Is it a topic that has been under discussion for a few years? Look for a book
2. Would there be smaller research projects on the topic, or are you trying to find a case-study? Look in the databases for articles
3. Are you not sure what angle your research should take? Search the internet - select advanced search and limit to .gov or .edu sites
3. When searching the databases:
1. You will not get the same results using an integrated search as you will searching each database individually. The individual searches will give you more.
2. Use the thesaurus to find related terms and to search by subject
3. Different databases have different interfaces (the look and feel) but similar functionality - you might just have to hunt a bit to find the option you need
4. Use the "Descriptors" to find related subject headings to use in future searches