Searching Articles Using Education Databases

Information Services SectionHKIEd Library

Outline Basics and Overview

Database in Focus – ERIC, Education Research Complete on EBSCOhost

Another Educational Resource Example – ProQuest Education Journals

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Why use an e-database?

Because …

Use electronic databases to search for local and international literature.

Electronic databases contain recent information from book reviews, journal articles, conference papers, and other materials.

Some databases provide the complete full text articles or papers.

Other databases will just provide abstracts of the journal papers.

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Because …

An e-database is an organized collection of information. It supports search for journal title, article title, author, issue, volume, etc., which is more flexible and in-depth.

Journal article

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Can Library Catalogue retrieve journal articles?

No, because …

We can only search for journal title in EdCAT (library catalog), but not on individual article title or author.

Journal title search

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Why use an e-database?

Therefore, e-database is extremely useful when you want to find articles containing particular details,e.g. keyword = peer assessment in classroom

You could retrieve journal articles on this topic from e-databases, but you could not find the same information via EdCAT. This is because EdCAT allows search in journal title only; the search does not go into details of each issue or volume of the journal.

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Some examples of Chinese electronic databases:

中國期刊全文數據庫 - 〈教育與社會科學綜合輯〉及〈文史哲輯〉 中文電子期刊服務 CEPS: Chinese Electronic Periodicals Service

Some examples of local electronic databases: Hong Kong Journals Online Dissertations and Theses Collection (DTC) Chinese ERIC (Chinese University of Hong

Kong)

Some prominent e-databases on EducationLibrary Website -> E-Resources Tab

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Some examples of international electronic databases:

ERIC (Education Resources Information Center)

ProQuest Education Journals Academic Search Premier A+ Education PsycINFO

Some prominent e-databases on EducationLibrary Website -> E-Resources Tab

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Identify your keywords

Keywords are words or phrases that should appear in the information you are searching for.

Keywords are used to do search in the library catalogue and e-databases.

For example, your topic is : Study the effect of small class teaching in Hong Kong Keywords are : small class teaching hong kong

Use Boolean Operators (AND/OR/NOT), Wildcards (*), etc, where appropriate, e.g. small class teaching AND hong kong AND adolenscen*

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Notation of e-databasesFinding

e-databases

EdLINK-enabled e-database

Abstract e-database

Full text e-database

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Database in Focus – ERIC

What is ERIC database?

Provides access to education literature and resources and to information from journals included in the Current Index of Journals in Education and Resources in Education Index. It contains full text with citation and abstracts from educational and education-related journals.

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Find ERIC by Browsing "E" (or browse by education subject; or search ERIC)

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Access to ERIC databaseEnter

keywords

Limit your

search

SearchResults

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ExampleYour research topic:

Teaching thinking skills in small class settings

Identify the Keywords: thinking skills AND small class

Use indexes / thesaurus / descriptors to check related terms where necessary.

How many records retrieved?17

Example

Full Text

available

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Example

Check Library’s holdings

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Searching tips: Expand your search Use “expanders” from the database search

screen to expand your search

Use Boolean operator “OR” to include more search terms

e.g. thinking skills or critical thinking or decision making skills

Use truncation (*) to expand your search term in alternative waye.g. learn* to search for learning, learns,

learner, etc. 20

Searching tips: Narrow your search

Use “Limiter” from the database search screen to limit your search results in various way

Consider the suggested “Narrow Search Results by Subject” from the search result screen

Use Boolean operator “AND” to limit search results to a narrower scenee.g. peer assessment AND higher education

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Reduced from over 300 results to 53 by selecting peer reviewed and 2000 and after

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Try it yourselfTopic: code switching in Hong Kong

Suggested keywords: Code switching and Hong Kong

How many records retrieved?

Limit your search to full text articles

How many full text articles available?

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Try it yourselfTopic: Are electronic books effective in

teaching children reading?

Suggested keywords: electronic books and children reading

Limit your search to full text articles

How many records retrieved?

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Can I search across multiple EBSCOhost databases?

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Searching Multiple Databases in Ebscohost

How can I export my search results?

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Add to Folder: Save / Print / Email / Export

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Add to Folder: Save / Print / Email / Export

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We can export the results directly to RefWorks

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Supplementary Notes

For more information on how to export references from e-databases to RefWorks, please refer to the following website:

http://www.lib.ied.edu.hk/refworks/import.html

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Export your search results to: An email account or Bibliographic management software such

as RefWorks

Try it yourself

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Another Education Resources: ProQuest Education Journals

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What is ProQuest Education Journals database?

Covers almost 400 leading journals in education and related fields.

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Access to ProQuest Education Journals database

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Access to ProQuest Education Journals database Enter search term(s) for Basic Search

Limit to Full Text or Peer reviewed journals

Access to ProQuest Education Journals database

Enter search term(s) for Basic Search

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Limit to Full Text or Peer reviewed journals

E.g. search small class education

Suggested subjects: class size and academic achievement

Options for Narrow results

Limit search result

You can select records, and email, print, save and export the marked records.

Try yourself with different databases Tentative topic:School-based stress management

training for adolescents

Suggested keywords: stress management AND adolescen*

Limit your search to full text articles

How many records retrieved?43

Try yourself

Search and retrieve full-text via ERIC and ProQuest Education Journals:

Keyword: gifted education AND teaching method Limit your results to full text

Try to observe:1. How many records retrieved from each electronic

databases?2. Evaluate the relevancy of the results retrieved

from the TWO databases.

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Search other Databases in ProQuest

Practice makes Perfect!

Ask your Librarian @ Information Counter Tel: 2948 6653 Email: libinfo@ied.edu.hk