Finding Books

For books at OU: use KL's Online Catalog

For books at other MI libraries: use MeLCat

For books at other libraries: use WorldCat

When you find and retrieve a book that suits your research needs, be sure to browse the titles of other books found near your book, as these may also be helpful.

Finding Articles*

ERIC

1966 - present; includes articles from magazines & journals (EJ) plus reports and other documents (ED). Some EDs (1990 - 2006) available online. Also available through the FirstSearch platform.

Education Abstracts

1983 - present; includes articles from education periodicals.

PsycInfo

1887 - present; includes journal articles, books & book chapters, dissertations

PsycArticles

Full-text coverage of 41 APA journals (length of coverage varies by journal)

Academic OneFile

Full-text database covering many subject areas (1980 - present)

Education Studies

Provides online access to the full text of individual SAGE journals.

Dissertation Abstracts

Selectively provides the abstract for masters theses and dissertations.

JSTOR & Project MUSE

Collections of scholarly, full-image articles.

Social Sciences Citation Index (Web of Science)

In these databases, if an article is not available online, use the feature to identify if the article is available online in another database or in print in the library.

Citation Searching

A very effective research strategy is to consult the reference lists and bibliographies of books and journal articles that you find; these bibliographies should help you identify other valuable materials on your topic. Your next step is to determine whether KL owns that book or journal article.

e.g.: Suppose you find the following citation in the bibliography of a book or article you're reading:
 
Jones, B. D. and Egley, R. J. (2007). Learning to take tests or learning for understanding? Teachers' beliefs about test-based accountability. The Educational Forum 71(3): 232-48.

Check to see if KL owns this journal (The Educational Forum) by searching Kresge Library’s Online Catalog. (Be sure to perform a Journal Title search using the title of the journal — The Educational Forum — NOT the title of the article.) If Kresge Library does not have this article, you can order a copy through Interlibrary Loan.

Contact Information

Library Contact: Shawn V. Lombardo

Department Contact: Youngjoo Kim, Gary Rackliffe

Reference Resources & Educational Handbooks

• Handbook of Research on Multicultural Education
  (3rd floor: LC 1099.3 .H35 2004)
• Encyclopedia of Education
  (Ref. LB 15 .E47 2003)
• International Encyclopedia of Educational Technology
  (Ref. LB 1028.3 .I567 1996)
• International Handbook of Curriculum Research
  (3rd floor: LB 2806.15 .I595 2003)
• Handbook of the Sociology of Education
  (3rd floor: LC 191 .H254 2000)
• Handbook of Research on Teaching
  (3rd floor: LB 1028 .H315 2001)

Education Websites

• ERIC (for updated ERIC documents)
• MeL (Michigan eLibrary)
• Michigan Department of Education
• MEAP Testing
• Oakland Schools
• US Department of Education
• National Center for Education Statistics
• Educator's Reference Desk
• Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators

Other Resources

• Ulrich's Periodical Directory - Database providing detailed, comprehensive, and authoritative information on serials published throughout the world. Check this database to verify that a source is "scholarly."
• Consult KL's Citation Guides and Style Manuals for help with citing your sources in APA, MLA or Turabian styles.
• RefWorks - An online citation tool that helps you manage and format your citations!

Obtaining Items Not Owned by
Kresge Library

• MeLCat - Search for and request books from other Michigan libraries.
• ILLiad - OU's interlibrary loan service. Request items directly from FirstSearch databases, or use ILLiad's online request forms.
• Reciprocal borrowing from an area library.

Need Help?

• Ask a reference librarian:
  • By phone (248.370.4426)
  • By e-mail
  • In person (see Hours)
  • Via Instant Messenger
  • Set up a research consultation