Education: A Research Guide

Students seeking information on the latest teaching techniques or support of curriculum development will find a great starting point for their research using the materials listed below. Information such as educational concepts, special education, trends, and issues in education are readily available to educators and students. The terms and phrases listed in the subject headings below can be used to search for more materials in the library's catalog and research databases. If you need further assistance, please ask a librarian.

Biographical Dictionary of Modern American Educators edited by Frederik Ohles, Shirley M. Ohles, and John G. Ramsay. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1997. ISBN: 0313291330.
Biographical sketches are listed in alphabetical order by last names of subjects. Includes a list of acronyms/abbreviations, a combined name and subject index, and appendixes.

The Cyclopedic Education Dictionary edited by Carol S. Spafford, Augustus J. Itzo Pesce, and George S. Grosser. Albany, NY: Delmar, 1998. ISBN: 0827384750.
A concise dictionary that provides researchers with valuable educational terms, concepts, issues, and strategies.

The Dictionary of Educational Terms edited by David Blake and Vincent Hanley. Brookfield, VT: Arena, 1995. ISBN: 1857422570.
Arranged alphabetically, this dictionary contains entries covering basic educational terms. Included also is a useful list of acronyms.

Education, A Guide to Reference and Information Sources by Nancy P. O’Brien and Lois Buttlar. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 2000. ISBN: 1563086263.
Fourteen chapters, each based on a broad subject category, such as educational administration and management, educational psychology, and special education, cover various types of reference materials and journals.

Education Index. New York: H. W. Wilson, 1929– . Annual with monthly updates. ISSN: 00131385.
Primarily a periodical index, it draws from more than 400 English language journals, including some not indexed elsewhere. Following the main body is a separate listing of book reviews.

Educational Media and Technology Yearbook. Littleton, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1985– . Annual. ISSN: 87552094.
Focuses on trends and issues; school library and media, North American organizations and associations, graduate programs, and mediagraphy—print and nonprint sources.

Encyclopedia of American Education, 2nd ed. edited by Harlow G. Unger. 3 vols. New York: Facts On File, 2001. ISBN: 0816043442.
Illustrated with many photos, all entries include at least one bibliographic reference.

The Encyclopedia of Education, 2nd ed. edited by James W. Guthrie. 8 vols. New York: Macmillan Reference, 2003. ISBN: 002865594X.
Focus is on U.S. practices and institutions, from preschool to higher education.

Encyclopedia of Language and Education edited by David Corson. 8 vols. Boston: Kluwer, 1997. ISBN: 0792345959.
Covers a large range of topics in language and education. Each volume is dedicated to a specific topic and contains in-depth signed articles written by eminent scholars in the field.

Handbook of Research on Teaching, 4th ed. edited by Virginia Richardson. Washington, DC: American Educational Research Association, 2001. ISBN: 0935302263
Consists of signed articles. Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

Philosophy of Education: An Encyclopedia edited by Joseph J. Chambliss. New York: Garland, 1996. ISBN: 081531177X.
Contains signed articles with bibliographic references covering people and concepts from Plato to Montessori.

Who’s Who in American Education. Owings Mills, MD: National Reference Institute, 1988– . Annual publication. ISSN: 10467203.
Brief biographies are arranged alphabetically by last names. Includes a table of acronyms/abbreviations, a “professional index” by academic discipline, and a “teaching awards” index.

World of Learning. London: Allen & Unwin, 1947– . Annual. ISSN: 00842117.
Source of names, addresses, and other information about universities and other academic, artistic, or scholarly organizations around the world.

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The Educator’s Reference Desk
www.eduref.org
Provides links to useful Web sites with information about citation styles, links to directories, government resources, law, intellectual freedom, libraries, mass media, school rankings, and statistics.

ERIC Database
www.eduref.org/Eric/
Provides access to resources in education through citations from 1966 through April 2004 and ERIC Journal citations from 1966 through March 2004. Full-text materials can be obtained through a fee-based service or from a library that maintains a collection of ERIC documents.

ERIC Digests
www.ericdigests.org
Contains short reports on topics of current interest in education.

National Center for Education Statistics
http://nces.ed.gov
Federal agency that collects and analyzes data related to education in the United States and other countries.