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Ohio State University logo University Libraries arrow Guide to Information Resources in Education


Guide to Information Resources in Education:
Finding Journal Articles



To find journal articles, you'll be using periodical indexing and abstracting databases.  These provide references to specific articles found in issues of journals in your field of interest.  They come in either print or online format. The information provided includes: authors' names, article titles, journal titles, volume and issue numbers, date, and page numbers, descriptive subject headings, and sometimes additional information, such as author's institution and contact information.  Often an abstract, or summary, of the article will be included.  Online indexes sometimes connect to electronic full text of the articles, too.  They also can provide access to conference papers, dissertations, working papers, and other difficult to locate literature.

To find specific journal articles, do not use OSCAR.  Instead, look for "Research Databases" or "Find articles and more" on the
OSU Libraries home page.  After you've identified specific articles, then use OSCAR to determine whether OSU owns the specific volume of the journal that you need or has access to an online version.

Accessing Online Databases from Off-Campus

The OSU Libraries have installed a new proxy server that should make it easier to access online databases from off-campus than it was in the past.  You no longer need to change your browser's proxy settings.  Instead, when trying to access a subscription database, online journal, or similar resource you'll be asked to enter your OSU user name and password.

Activate your OSU user name and password
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ERIC

One of the world's premier education resources, this database abstracts articles from over 750 education journals, some comprehensively, some selectively.  Some articles are available full-text.  Also abstracted are thousands of ERIC "documents",  unpublished materials that have been archived by ERIC, the Educational Resources Information Center..  The full text of most of these is available on microfiche in 005 Sullivant Hall.  Many of the documents published since 1989 also are available online.  ERIC journal articles are identified by "EJ" numbers; ERIC documents by "ED" numbers. Remember that ERIC documents are not journal articles.  ERIC has an integrated online thesaurus to help you find the most useful subject headings for your topic.
Coverage: 1966-present.

List of journals covered by ERIC
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Professional Development Collection

This collection offers information on everything from children's health and development to cutting-edge pedagogical theory and practice. Includes abstract and index coverage for over 585 well-known
professional development titles, and searchable full text for 504 journals covering the most current topics in the field of education.

List of journals covered by Professional Development Collection
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PsycINFO

Because education is so closely intertwined with psychology, for many topics you'll want to use PsycINFO.  PsycINFO is the world's most comprehensive psychological database.  It abstracts not only journal articles but books, book chapters, and dissertations from around the world.  A number of articles are available full-text online.  Like ERIC, PsycINFO has an integrated online thesaurus.
Coverage:  1967-present (also Historical PsycINFO, 1887-1966).

List of journals covered by PsycINFO
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Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection

Covers emotional and behavioral characteristics, psychiatry and psychology, mental processes, anthropology, and observational and experimental methods. Includes nearly 515 full text titles and over 490 peer-reviewed journals.

List of journals covered by Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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Other Relevant Online Databases

OSU subscribes to over 300 online databases, many of which may be useful to you, depending on what aspect of education you are researching.  For instance, if you are researching education from an economics point of view, you might want to consult EconLit.  Sociological Abstracts might turn up some excellent articles for research dealing with education from a sociological point of view.

Complete list and access to all OSU online databases
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Print Indexes and Abstracts

Don't ignore indexes and abstracting services that are available only in print format, for instance Education Index and Higher Education Abstracts.  Many of these are located in the Reference Stacks at Sullivant Library.  Try these SUBJECT headings in OSCAR:
  • education - indexes
  • education - abstracts
If you're looking for articles from dates previous to the online database coverage, try the print versions of these databases:
  • Psychological Abstracts (PsycINFO)
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