Education majors will want to enlist the aid of the Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), an ?online digital library of education research and information.? This web resource, which is operated by the US Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences, is a fantastic research aid, particularly for students who are in upper-level classes or pursuing graduate work.
ERIC contains a ?searchable, Internet-based bibliographic and full-text database of education research and information.? It’s the perfect springboard for beginning research. And although users need to register in order to customize the site fully, the resource itself is completely free.
It’s also easy to use. Even if You’re not sure of your exact search terms, ERIC sponsors a tailored thesaurus which will help you narrow broader topics to the more specific information You’re looking for.
Although ERIC provides some full-text articles, and hopes to increase its collection in the future, a number of the articles in its database are only available in synopsis form due to copyright restrictions. However, ERIC provides full bibliographic and contact information for both the articles and the journals in which they appear. Using ERIC in conjunction with journal databases like those available through AU’s library allows broader access to the actual articles. Regardless, ERIC greatly facilitates locating the materials necessary for any education research.