EDU230: Social Foundations of Education

Finding Books

To find out what the letters in the call numbers stand for, go to LC Classification Online.

MNLINK--Minnesota Library Information Network
A shared catalog for many Minnesota libraries. Click on Search, then make a selection on the next screen. One option (below the map) provides a search of Minnesota college and university libraries. Use the interlibrary loan button to request a book from another library. Use your bar code number as your username, your last name as a password.

Reference Works

Reference works are helpful tools for research. They provide introductions to topics when you begin your research, and also help define unfamiliar terms, concepts, and topics that turn up during your research. Many reference book articles are written by experts and offer not only information but excellent bibliographies for further research.

The following is a sample of useful education reference books. All reference books are shelved on the football field side of the library's second floor. Reference books cannot be checked out of the library.

Encyclopedia of Education. 2nd ed. 8 vols. New York: Macmillan Reference, 2003. (Ref LB 15 .E47 2003) Covers education theory, history of education, education and social forces, and education reform efforts in over 850 articles, emphasizing the U.S. experience, but with some international perspectives. Volume 8 includes primary sources and a thematic outline.

• World Education Encyclopedia: A Survey of Educational Systems Worldwide. 2nd ed. 3 vols. Detroit: Gale, 2002. (Ref LB15 .W87 2002) Here you can find articles on educational systems arranged by country, describing their history, giving an overview of education at all levels, some discussion of administration and financing, and the state of the profession. There are statistical tables and bibliographies for each country covered.
  
• Handbook of Educational Psychology. New York: Macmillan Reference, 1996. (Ref LB1051 .H2354 1996) This resource summarizes the breadth and variety of theory, methods, practice, and research in educational psychology related to what happens in schooling and the society at large. Detailed name and subject indexes are included.
  
• Encyclopedia of Early Childhood Education. New York: Garland, 1992. (Ref LB1139.25 .E53 1992) Here you can find information related to historical, political, economic, sociocultural, intellectual, and educational influences on the field of early childhood education. Bibliographical references are included for each entry.

Finding Articles

Databases for articles and other materials contain references to publications that may or may not be in this library; some databases offer full text of articles while others only provide citations. There are in-depth databases that cover publications in a particular field and others that are interdisciplinary. Databases can be accessed from a drop-down list on the library's main page; descriptions can be found here.

ERIC
The ERIC database is the major index to articles in education journals and reports of education research. ERIC contains citations and abstracts to over 1.1 million articles and documents and is updated monthly. The library does not own the ERIC Documents, but some are available through E*Subscribe. Those that are not available through E*Subscribe can be requested through interlibrary loan. Note: As of October 1, 2004, ERIC full-text documents will be available directly through the database, and you will no longer need to use E*Subscribe.

Academic Search Premier
Academic Search Premier contains indexing for nearly 8,050 publications, with full text for more than 4,600 of those titles. This database covers biology, chemistry, education, engineering, humanities, physics, psychology, religion and theology, sociology, and other disciplines.

Professional Collection
Professional Collection includes more than 300 full-text journals for educators in the following areas: arts and humanities; child and adolescent psychology and development; drug and alcohol abuse; health/nutrition/fitness; learning disabilities; literature; school law; science and technology; social sciences; and sports/athletic training.

Note: If the database does not provide a full text to an article, check the Journal Locator to see if Gustavus owns or has access to the journal.

Interlibrary Loan

Web Sites

U.S. Department of Education - provides information on all aspects of the federal government's role in education.

Minnesota Department of Education - the state agency responsible for K-12 education, containing information for administrators, educators and parents; topics include data and reports, professional licensing, education finance.

National Center for Education Statistics - a vast collection of data on schools, teachers, educational attainment, and more. From the U.S. Department of Education.

The Gateway to Educational Materials - a directory of classroom materials. The site offers a sophisticated search engine, allowing to limit a topic by grade level, as well as browsing by keyword or subject. Search results lead to lesson plans, curriculum units, and other Web materials for educators. The site is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education.

Citing Your Sources

Avoiding Plagiarism - contains helpful tips on avoiding plagiarism in the research and writing process.

jkg 9/04