Reference Sources

Guides to the Literature

These books will tell you what sources to consult to get specific information.

Freed, Melvyn N. (ed.). The Educator’s Desk Reference (EDR): A Sourcebook of Educational Information and Research. 2nd ed. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2002. REF LB1028.27 .U6 F74 2002 – see esp. Sec. E, Chap. 3 “A Summary of Research Designs”
A good example of a guide arranged by type of source or information need; contains many other useful sections on standardized tests, computer software, and the research process.

O’Brien, Nancy P. Education: A Guide to Reference and Information Sources. 2nd ed. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 2000. REF LB15 .B87 2000

O’Brien, Nancy P., and E. Fabiano. Core List of Books and Journals in Education. Phoenix: Oryx, 1991. REF LB14.6 .O27 1991

Dictionaries

Use these books to define educational terms and concepts.

Barrow, Robin, and Geoffrey Milburn. Critical Dictionary of Educational Concepts: An Appraisal of Selected Ideas and Issues in Educational Theory and Practice. 2nd ed. NY: Teacher’s College Press (Columbia University), 1990. REF LB15 .B29 1990

Collins, John W. Collins III and Nancy Patricia O’Brien. The Greenwood Dictionary of Education. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2003. REF LB15 .G68 2003
The first comprehensive dictionary of education since Good’s Dictionary of Education in 1973.

Leonard, David C. Learning Theories, A to Z. Westport, CT : Oryx Press, 2002. REF LB15 .L4695 2002

Handbooks

These books attempt to give a one-volume overview of generally accepted fact and procedure. Especially valuable for bibliographic references.

Dejnozka, Edward L., and David E. Kapel. American Educators’ Encyclopedia. Rev. ed. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1991. REF LB15 .D37 1991
A one-volume “desk encyclopedia.” Brief entries on the terms and people frequently found in educational literature. Includes bibliographical references.

Jackson, Philip W. (ed.). Handbook of Research on Curriculum. New York: Macmillan, 1992. Oversize LB1570 .H264 1992
A comprehensive overview of the status of, and issues in, the curriculum field from nursery school through high school. Extensive and current chapter bibliographies. N.B.: This book is not in Reference, but in the General Collection.

Richardson, Virginia (ed.). Handbook of Research on Teaching. 4th ed. Washington, D.C.: American Educational Research Association, 2001. REF LB1028 .H315 2001
51 separately-authored chapters, with bibliographies.

Shin, Linda M. (ed.). Learning Disabilities Sourcebook: basic information about disorders such as dyslexia, visual and auditory processing deficits, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and autism, along with statistical and demographic data, reports on current research initiatives, an explanation of the assessment process, and a special section for adults with learning disabilities. Detroit, MI: Omnigraphics, 1998. REF LC4705 .L434 1998

Van Scotter, Richard D. Public Schooling in America: A Reference Handbook. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, 1991. REF LA217.2 .V36 1991
A concise overview of issues, historical chronology, key biographies, statistics and tabular data, and a select bibliography of sources.

Wickremasinghe, Walter (ed.). Handbook of World Education: A Comparative Guide to Higher Education and Educational Systems of the World. Houston: American Collegiate Service, 1991. REF LB43 .H36 1991

Woodill, Gary A. Ed., International Handbook of Early Childhood Education. New York: Garland, 1992. REF LB1139.23.I68 1992

Encyclopedias

More in-depth information than in dictionaries or handbooks; more extensive bibliographies.

Chambliss, J.J. (ed.). Philosophy of Education: An Encyclopedia. New York: Garland Publishers, 1996. REF LB17 .P485 1996

Fagan, Thomas K., and Paul G. Warden (eds.). Historical Encyclopedia of School Psychology. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1996. REF LB1027.55 .H57 1996

Fass, Paula S. (ed.). Encyclopedia of Children and Childhood: in History and Society. 3 vols. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2004. REF HQ767.84 .E53 2003
Note: This title is also available in full text electronically via the Gale Virtual Reference Library database. A link to the electronic version is also available from the library online catalog, or from the Library Home Page under “Databases”.

Guthrie, James W. (ed.) Encyclopedia of Education. 2nd ed. 8 vols. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2003. REF LB15 .E47 2003
The new second edition of the groundbreaking 1971 set, containing more than 850 articles. Volume 8, in addition to a subject index, includes an annotated list of commonly-administered standardized tests, a section on key court cases, legislation, and international agreements, a list of key Web sites, and more.

Husen, Torsten and T. Neville Postlethwaite (eds.). The International Encyclopedia of Education. 2nd ed. 12 vols. New York: Pergamon Press, 1994. REF LB15 .I569 1994

Levinson, David L., et al. (eds.) Education and Sociology: An Encyclopedia. New York: RoutledgeFalmer, 2002. REF LC189.95 .E38 2002
A substantial, up-to-date collection of 91 separately-authored chapters.

Marlow-Ferguson, Rebecca (ed.). World Education Encyclopedia : A Survey of Educational Systems Worldwide. 2nd ed. 3 vols. Detroit: Gale Group, 2001. REF LB15 .W87 2001

Mitzel, Harold (ed.). Encyclopedia of Educational Research. 6th ed. 4 vols. New York: Macmillan, 1992. REF LB15 .E48 1992
Note ample bibliographic references.

Reynolds, Cecil R., and Elaine Fletcher-Janzen (eds.). Encyclopedia of Special Education. 3rd ed. 3 vols. New York: Wiley, 2007. REF LC4007 .E53 2007

Unger, Harlow G. Encyclopedia of American Education. 3rd ed. 3 vols. New York: Facts on File, 2007. REF LB17 .U54 2007

Williams, Leslie R., and Doris Fromberg (eds.). Encyclopedia of Early Childhood Education. New York: Gar;amd, 1992. REF LB1139.25 .E53 1992

Directories

Use these sources for names, addresses, phone numbers, and other basic information.

MDR’s School Directory. Annual. Shelton, CT: Market Data Retrieval, Inc. REF L901 .M33
The most detailed school district information available in this library, including data on enrollments, opening/closing dates, use of technology/media, administrators, librarians, financial support, etc. We have volumes for each of the New England States plus New York.

Moody, Wayne (ed.) Patterson’s American Education. Mount Prospect, IL: Educational Directories, Inc., 2008. REF L901 .P3 2008
A directory covering over 29,000 public secondary schools; over 6,000 private and Catholic secondary schools, and over 7,000 post-secondary schools, in geographical arrangement.

Moody, Wayne (ed.). Patterson’s Elementary Education. Mount Prospect, IL: Educational Directories, Inc., 2007. REF L901 .P33 2007
A directory covering more than 66,000 public, private, and Catholic elementary schools, in geographical arrangement.

Statistical Information

Almanac of American Education. Annual. Lanham, MD: Bernan Press. REF LA201 .E38

Cosby, Arthur G., et al. (eds.). About Children. Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics, 2005. REF HQ792 .U5 A515 2005
Includes 46 separately-authored chapters covering the most important issues in child health and well-being. Each chapter includes statistical charts and graphs. See listing on LOLA for Table of Contents note.

Kaul, Chandrika. Statistical Handbook on the World’s Children. Westport, CT: Oryx Press, 2002. REF HQ767.9 .K38 2002

Kids Count Data Book: State Profiles of Child Well-Being. Annual. Washington, DC: Center for the Study of Social Policy, 1990 – . REF HQ792 .U5 K53
Also available online; see link on LOLA

New Hampshire. State Dept. of Education. [Statistics]. Annual. Concord, NH: New Hampshire Dept. of Education. REF LA328 .A2
A compilation of various K-12 school statistics, by district and state-wide, including enrollments, student/teacher ratios, salaries, district calendars, and expenditures per pupil. Latest edition in Reference; earlier years back to 1986/87 are in the General Collection.

U.S. Department of Commerce. Bureau of the Census. Statistical Abstract of the United States. Annual. Washington, D.C.: G.P.O. REF HA202 .A1
“The National Data Book.” The standard, authoritative compendium of social, political, and economic statistical information for the country. Section 4 covers Education. Most recent edition in Reference; earlier years in General Collection.

U.S. Department of Education. National Center for Education Statistics. The Condition of Education. Annual. Washington, D.C.: G.P.O. REF L112 .A64
Most recent edition in Reference; earlier years in General Collection. Also accessible online; see link on LOLA (online catalog).

U.S. Department of Education. National Center for Education Statistics. Digest of Education Statistics. Annual. Washington, D.C.: G.P.O. REF L111 .A35
Covers American education from kindergarten through graduate school. This is a compilation of data gathered mostly by the National Center for Education Statistics, but there is also information from private sources. Use this along with the Statistical Abstract of the United States. Most recent edition in Reference; earlier years in General Collection. Also accessible online; see link on LOLA.

U.S. Department of Education. National Center for Education Statistics. Education Indicators: An International Perspective. Washington, D.C.: G.P.O., 1996. REF LB2846 .E2493 1996
“Provides readers with relevant material about the education systems and social structures of other countries, specifically designed for readers who are knowledgeable about the United States.” Also accessible online; see link on LOLA.

U.S. Department of Education. National Center for Education Statistics. Projections of Educational Statistics to . . . . Annual. Washington, D.C.: G.P.O. REF LA210 .A28
Annual publication, with projections for next 10 years. Most recent edition in Reference; earlier years in General Collection. Also accessible online; see link on LOLA.

Key Web Site for Statistics on Child Well-Being

America’s Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being http://www.childstats.gov/americaschildren/
This Web site is produced by the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, a group put together in 1994 to foster coordination and integration among 20 Federal agencies that produce or use statistical data on children and families. Note: This Web site is on LOLA, the online library catalog, with a link to the site.

Guides to Web Sites

DiGeorgio, Marvin and Sylvia Lesage. The 21st Century Teachers’ Guide to Recommended Internet Sites. New York: Neal-Schuman, 2001. REF ZA4201 .D54 2001

Miller, Elizabeth B. (ed.). The Internet Resource Directory for K-12 Teachers and Librarians. Annual. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited. REF TK5105.875 .I57 M557

Periodical Indexes and Databases

Academic Search Premier (electronic)

Provides indexing and full text articles from about 8,000 scholarly and popular publications covering all academic subjects. Full text articles are provided from over 4,600 periodicals covering all academic subjects. This database is the recommended starting point for most searches for periodical articles.

Connect from the Library Home Page; from first screen, under “Find” (at the left), click on “Databases”; then click on “Academic Search Premier”. Use the “Subject Terms” button at top to verify subject terms. This resource is also available off campus to PSU students, faculty, and staff; connect via the Plymouth portal: my.plymouth.edu – then go to the Library Home Page and follow the steps above.

For assistance in reading your search results, go back to the Databases page of the Library Home Page and click on the INFO button next to Academic Search Premier.

ERIC (electronic)

A database from the Educational Resources Information Center, the most specialized and comprehensive research system covering all aspects of educational theory and practice at all levels. Provides references to articles and studies from over 1000 education journals, and from over 400,000 documents (such as papers presented at professional conferences, but also including such materials as lesson plans, curriculum guides, and annotated bibliographies). Coverage from 1966 to present.

While there are free Web links available to ERIC, the most efficient way to search ERIC is via EBSCOhost – links to any full text articles or documents will appear under the citations. Lamson Library has all ERIC documents (ED numbers) from 1966 to present on microfiche; those published from 1993 to present may also be available in full text online (click on the Full Text from ERIC link under ED citations). Ask for assistance at the Reference Desk.

Connect to ERIC from the Library’s Home Page; follow instructions above regarding connecting to Academic Search Premier; from the list of databases available via EBSCOhost, select ERIC. Use the “Thesaurus” button at top to verify subject terms. This resource is also available off campus to PSU students, faculty, and staff; connect via the Plymouth portal: my.plymouth.edu – then go to the Library Home Page and follow the steps above.

For assistance in reading your search results, go back to the Databases page of the Library Home Page and click on the INFO button next to ERIC.

ERIC Search Tips:

Combine any ERIC DESCRIPTOR (Subject) with any of the following DESCRIPTORS to focus on a level:
elementary education
elementary school students
secondary education
high school students
middle school students
junior high school students
grade 6 [or any other grade number]
elementary secondary education [used for K-12]

Other useful ERIC DESCRIPTORS:
lesson plans
units of study
curriculum guides
class activities
teaching methods
academic achievement

You may use OR to combine similar terms in one search box:
elementary education or elementary school students

PsycINFO (electronic)

PsycINFO contains citations and summaries of journal articles, book chapters, books, dissertations, and technical reports, all in the field of psychology and the psychological aspects of related disciplines, such as education, medicine, psychiatry, nursing, sociology, pharmacology, physiology, linguistics, anthropology, business, and law. Journal coverage, spanning 1882-present, includes international material selected from nearly 2,000 periodicals written in over 35 languages. Current chapter and book coverage includes worldwide English-language material published from 1987-present. Over 60,000 references are added annually through weekly updates. PsycINFO is produced and copyrighted by the American Psychological Association, all rights reserved. This database is updated weekly on EBSCOhost. Note: A link will indicate whether the full text of the article is available in another EBSCO database, and the link will take you to this full text.

Connect from Library Home Page following instructions above for connecting to Academic Search Premier via EBSCOhost; select PsycINFO. This resource is also available off campus to PSU students, faculty, and staff; connect via the Plymouth portal: my.plymouth.edu – then go to the Library Home Page and follow the steps above.

Locating Periodicals in the Library

All periodicals that the Library owns are listed on LOLA (the online library catalog), with inclusive dates, formats, and locations. Search by TITLE, and type in full title of the journal.

All paper copies of periodical issues are located in the Periodical Area (on the Main Level). All microfiche or microfilm back issues are now located in Room 028 on the Lower Level (around the corner from the computer cluster). In addition, microfiche of all ERIC documents, Kraus K-12 Curriculum Guides, and the Oregon Collection of microfiche theses and dissertations are also located in Room 028. Free paper copies may be made from microfiche or microfilm. Ask for assistance at the main Information Desk on the Main Level. In all formats, periodicals are filed in alphabetical order by title of the journal.

For assistance in finding any physical copies of journals (in any format), or making paper copies from microfiche or microfilm, please go to the main Information Desk on the Main Level.

Online journal locating service:

Lamson Library now subscribes to an electronic Journal List system. This is a master alphabetical list (by title of journal) of all journals that will tell you the following:
1. whether Lamson Library has any physical copies of the journal, and
2. whether the journal is available in full text electronically via any of the databases to which Lamson Library subscribes, and
3. whether we have been given direct access by the publisher to the online version of the journal.

To search this, click “Journal List” under “Find” on the Library Home Page. Then, type the TITLE of the journal in the “Find” box, and hit “Enter”.

For each journal listed, if we have physical copies of the journal in Lamson, the note “Lamson Library” will appear under the journal title. You can click on this Lamson Library link to view the record of the journal in the online library catalog. If the journal is available in full text in a database, the database name(s) will be listed, and you can click on the name of the database to be taken to the publication details for that journal in the chosen database. Included with these details will be links by year to full text articles from that journal. If the direct online version of the journal is available, you will see a link “E-Journals from EBSCO”. Click this to be taken to the online journal.

Finding Web Sites

Web Sites on Library Catalog (LOLA)

The library regularly adds Web sites to the online library catalog. These may be found in two ways:

1. Click “Search Library Catalog”. Do a regular search by SUBJECT, TITLE, OR WORDS, and retrieve initial results. Then, click “Limit/Sort Search” at top of screen, and change the box next to “MATERIAL type” to “WEB SITE”. Click the “Submit” button at the bottom.

2. From the initial Library Catalog screen, click the “Advanced Search” button. Scroll down to the box headed “Material Type” and select “WEB SITE”. Thus, any type of search done (Subject, Words, or Title) will search and retrieve ONLY Web sites.

Collections of Education Web Sites

For a large collection of Web sites on Education compiled by Librarian Gary McCool, from the Library Home Page, click on “Resources by Subject” (under “Find” at the left), then choose “Education (ED)”. To jump to the links to Education Web Sites, click on “Web Sites” in the box at the top, then on “Education Web Sites”. Here will be an annotated list of about 11 pages of links to active Web sites on Education, organized under 26 sub-headings.

Here is the direct link:
Education Web Sites (Selected by Gary McCool)

Compiled and revised by Gary McCool