ERIC Database guide
ERIC Database
ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) is the largest education database in the world. It contains more than 1 million bibliographic records of journal articles and of documents including research reports, curriculum and teaching guides, conference papers, and books. Each year approximately 32,000 new records are added. Although strongest in North American material, its scope is international and mainly English language.
The ERIC system is part of the U.S. Department of Education's National Library of Education and consists of 16 subject-specific clearinghouses, 9 adjunct clearinghouses, 1 affiliate clearinghouse, and additional support components.
The ERIC Clearinghouses
- collect, abstract, and index education materials for the ERIC database
- respond to requests for information in their subject areas
- produce special publications on current research, programs, and practices.
The ERIC database is available in many formats (including printed indexes, CD-ROM, and online). A search of the ERIC database will result in a list of records with abstracts covering document and journal literature on your topic.
Each record on the ERIC database has a unique accession number:
-
ED before the number (eg ED 123 456) identifies the record as an ERIC Document
-
EJ before the number (eg EJ 123 456) identifies the record as a journal article cited by ERIC
ERIC Documents
ERIC Documents constitute about 40 percent of the ERIC database, and include research papers and technical reports, conference papers or speeches, project or program descriptions, opinion papers, essays, or teaching guides. ERIC contains records and abstracts for more than 18,000 published books.
ERIC has arrangements with more than 2,300 organizations to receive their publications for the database. These organizations include universities, research centres, state departments of education, professional associations, commercial publishers, and more than 25 federal departments and agencies.
- The UniSA Library at Mawson Lakes holds ERIC Documents from 1975 to the present, on microfiche. This collection begins at ED 095 254 although a few scattered numbers are held from ED 002 970.
- Most documents are available on microfiche. Check the Price field. If the Price field shows Document not available from EDRS, the microfiche will not be available. This happens when the record cited is available commercially in book format. Check the Library catalogue first to see if the book is held.
- To request ERIC microfiche, UniSA staff and students who are not at Mawson Lakes need to lodge an Intercampus Request form. They will receive a duplicate microfiche copy. Forms are available at Information Desks.
- At Mawson Lakes , an ERIC Microfiche Request form needs to be lodged to access the original microfiche. There is a 24 hour turnaround for this service. Forms are available at the Mawson Lakes Information Desk.
- Microfiche readers and printers are available. Ask about their availability when making your request.
- Be sure to include the ED number, author and title on any ERIC microfiche request.
ERIC Journal Articles
Journal articles constitute about 60 percent of the ERIC database and currently total about 600,000. They are recognized by having EJ in front of the accession number.
ERIC indexes more than 1000 journals, some cover to cover and others on a more selective basis. ERIC Clearinghouses subscribe to journals within their scope of interest areas, select the articles to be listed in ERIC, catalogue and index them, and write brief abstracts.
Unlike the ERIC Documents, the journal articles cited are not available on microfiche from ERIC.
To obtain the journal articles, note that:
- The Source field will give the name of the journal
- If the article comes from a journal you must look up the title of the journal on the UniSA Library catalogue. Make sure the Library holds the issue you require and then write down the location symbol and call number (eg PER 370.7305 J86)
-
Where
the icon and note Linked Full Text appears, the articles are
available as full text. - If the UniSA Library does not hold the journal, the article can be requested via Interlibrary Loan using an electronic Document Request Form or Interlibrary Loan form available from Information Desks. A fee applies.
ERIC Digests
The ERIC Clearinghouses have produced more than 2,200 ERIC Digests. These two-page, research-synthesis papers provide brief overviews of current education issues. They are frequently in question-and-answer format and always include a list of additional resources. The complete full-text of the ERIC Digests can be found:
- by searching the ERIC database using the term Eric Digests in the SU Subject field
- on the ERIC web site at http://www.eric.ed.gov/ (opens in new window)
Please contact your Liaison
Librarian or the Library Information Desk staff at any campus of the University
of South Australia if you have any question about ERIC