ERIC Educational Resources Information Center Searching

To search ERIC, I will need to start at the Rod Library Homepage.

I will then select Databases A-Z under Journal and Magazine Articles (Panther Prowler) from the Main Menu.

I can then find the ERIC (EBSCO) database I need and select it.

This is the search screen for ERIC. The top part is the search window and the bottom part includes ways to limit your search plus the search history.

ERIC is an database. Searching is similar on all databases.

To select more than one database to search at one time, I could, at this time, click on the Choose Databases tab at the top of the screen.

I would then select any databases I would like to search at once from the listing.

ERIC Subject (descriptor) Searching For this demonstration, I will be using only ERIC and looking for information on the effects of Reading Aloud on Reading Achievement.

I know that ERIC has something called “descriptors” which are similar to subject headings. Since I do not know what the descriptors are for my search topic, I will use the ERIC Thesaurus to find out.

I can click on the Thesaurus link at the top of the search screen.

I will now type in reading aloud to find out if this is a recognized descriptor term or what term I can use instead.

Clicking on the Browse button has taken me to the area of the Thesaurus where reading aloud would be if it was a recognized descriptor.

I can look at the previous screen to make sure my term is not there. It is not listed as a descriptor, although, Reading Aloud to Others is listed as a descriptor. I will click on that.

After reading the Scope Note for this term, I realize that I really need the descriptor oral reading.

I will check mark Oral Reading and click on the Add button to include this descriptor in my search.

My new search term has been added to the search box at the top. I will search for this now by clicking on Search.

I now have a set of 1587 entries with the oral reading descriptor (or field DE as it appears in the entry). I still need to narrow my search further by adding my second term.

I will go back (by clicking the Back button on my browser) to the thesaurus and type in my second term: reading achievement.

Reading achievement appears in the descriptor list as a recognized descriptor.

A quick check of the Scope Note tells me that this is the descriptor I want.

I can now Add my new term to my search by check marking my new term and clicking on the Add button.

I will now Search for my new term.

I now have another even larger set with 8508 entries. However, I want all of my results to have both search terms: Oral Reading and Reading Achievement. These entries have one term OR the other but not necessarily both terms.

I will change the Boolean operator OR in the search box to AND and click on Search again.

I am now down to 153 entries! The Boolean operator OR broadens a search while the operator AND narrows it.

This set may be further narrowed by adding my last keyword term effect to the search with the truncation symbol * to pick up entries with either effect or effects, etc.

I have now narrowed my set down to a more manageable size of 57 entries.

I may have eliminated some possible entries by using the term effect only. I could use other terms with similar meanings such as influence. I will add this term using the operator OR and search again.

I have added 7 more entries to my set by searching for entries with either effect* or influence.

My professor has requested that I have at least 10 journal articles for this paper. I will use the limiting feature to find these. I will click on the Refine Search tab in the middle of the screen.

I will scroll down and find the area where I can select Journal or Document and select Journal Articles from that drop-down menu.

There are other ways to limit on this page but I am not going to do that at this time. Now, I will click on Search to see if my set of 57 entries contains at least 10 articles.

I have now narrowed my set to 24 journal articles. The next step is to check whether I can use these and whether they are available in the Rod Library.

It appears as though there may be several ways in which I can get these articles. #3 is a PDF I can print out here while #5 is available as an HTML document.

I know what PDFs and HTML articles are but what about the articles that say “Check SFX for availablity?” I will click on that phrase on #4 and see.

I have been taken to the SFX screen which indicates that article #4 is available in Education Full Text database. I will click on that link to find it.

The (SFX) link enables this database to be linked to other databases. will take me directly to the article I am looking for in some databases, while in others, I will be taken only to the search screen for that database. For these, I will need to look for the article myself.

I will return to the listing of articles by closing the SFX screen. I am now ready to look at more entries.

After clicking on Check SFX For Availability on #11 in the search results, I find that no electronic copies are available. Can I get this article somehow?

I can click on Library Catalog (UNISTAR) to see if this library has this article in paper.

I am in luck! This library has this periodical in paper at call number LB S368 But where in the library is that located?

A quick look back at the SFX screen tells me that I need 1992, volume 7, issue 1.

I will now go back to the UNISTAR record for this periodical and see if this library has volume 7. The Library Has statement says that this library started taking this periodical with vol. 7 and still takes it. The location is UNI Periodicals which are on level 1 of the library.

I will now look at #14 in my results list and click on Check SFA for availability.

This entry appears to have no electronic copy nor is it in UNISTAR. Is there a way to get this?

Yes. You can open a browser and click on Books and Other Materials (UNISTAR).

Next, select the tab Borrow from other Libraries.

On this page, you would select Journal Article and fill in the requested information. The article will be found in another library and sent to you.

If you have any further questions on searching ERIC, please stop at the Reference Desk. We will be happy to help you. 1/25/07