Jamie M. Holmes
Instructor of Library Services/Education Resource Coordinator
Office:
Tahlequah: Broken Arrow:
212 John Vaughan Library (temporary, part time) A222 Library (Broken Arrow campus)
711 N. Grand Avenue Tahlequah, OK 74464-2300 3100 E. New Orleans | Broken Arrow, OK 74014
Telephone (918) 456-5511 EXT. 3266 EXT. 6456 (449-6456)
FAX (918) 458-2197 BA Library FAX (918) 449-6454
Email: holmesjm@nsuok.edu
Peggy Kaney
Instructor of Library Services/Education Resource Co-Coordinator
Office:
210 John Vaughan Library
711 N. Grand Avenue Tahlequah, OK 74464-2300
Telephone (918) 456-5511 EXT.3276
Email: kaneypl@nsuok.edu
| General Information for Students | Resources 1- Books, catalogs and databases |
Search Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Resources 2 - Internet Sites | Evaluating Websites |
Journal Reflection Help |
| Following APA style rules | Glossary of terms |
Why use journals? |
A Critical Dictionary of Educational Concepts Call # Ref. LB 15.B29
Encyclopedia of Learning & Memory Call # Ref. BF 318.E53
The Language of Learning: A Guide to Education Terms Call # Ref. LB 15.M32
Search the NSU Libraries' Online Catalog: http://library2.nsuok.edu/
Search for E-Books using NetLibrary and/or eBrary: http://library.nsuok.edu/Refdesk/vrdbks.html
Academic Search Premier - This is a general database, which means it contains article citations and full text articles covering many academic subjects. It is one of the twenty-five databases produced by EbscoHost for which NSU has a subscription. It is probably our most widely used database and is sometimes referred to simply as "Ebsco."
ERIC - This is another database produced by EbscoHost. ERIC stands for the Educational Resource Information Center. It contains more than 2,200 digests along with references for additional information and citations and abstracts from over 1,000 educational and education-related journals. ERIC contains a thesaurus, which can be very helpful in figuring out which search terms to use when looking for information.
Professional Development Collection - Designed for professional educators, this database provides a highly specialized collection of more than 550 high quality education journals, including more than 350 peer-reviewed titles. This databasealso contains more than 200 educational reports.
Education Full Text - Part of Wilson's Omnifile Full Text, Mega Edition, EFT provides comprehensive coverage of an international range of English-language periodicals, monographs and yearbooks. Coverage includes 79 journals (37 with full text) not covered by ERIC's Current Index to Journals in Education. Index coverage goes back to 1983. Full text articles from 1996 to the present. Contains a thesaurus.
1. Be prepared with synonyms in case your original search produces no results. Use a thesaurus if the database is equipped with one.
2. Pay attention to search tips or help screens provided by each database. Even experienced researchers (like professors and librarians!) can have trouble when dealing with a new interface. Take the time to learn how to use the tool - it will help you to avoid frustration!
3. Remember that most databases allow for Boolean Searching. Use and to narrow, or to expand, not to exlude. Truncation is also useful for bringing back all relevant results. For example, type counsel* to bring back documents containing the words counsel, counseling, counselor...
4. Take advantage of the following sources of help:
- Reference desk: Located on the first floor of the JVL, the desk is staffed from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. by reference librarians or other experienced library staff members.
- College of Education Resource Co-Coordinators: Jamie M. Holmes and Peggy Kaney. Feel free to email us with a question or to schedule a one-on-one reference session.
General
Sites for Teachers: http://www.sitesforteachers.com/
Can Teach: http://www.canteach.ca/index.html
Teachers' Top Sites: http://www.americanteachers.com/topsites/index.php?a_m=2
United States Department of Education: http://www.ed.gov/index.jhtml?src=a
Tom Messner's Search Engine Page: http://arapaho.nsuok.edu/~messner/eresearch/e%20research.htm
The Internet Public Library: http://www.ipl.org/
It's important to remember that publishing on the web is very easy - almost anyone can do it! The problem with that is knowing what's credible (worth your time) and what's not.
Here are some of the thing you want to look at or for:
the URL (.gov, .mil, .us, .edu are usually pretty credible);
links to information about the author or sponsoring organization;
links to other sites that are credible;
how current it is
Ultimately the researcher must be the one to determine whether or not to use information found on a web site. The following information from the University of California at Berkeley provides some excellent guidelines for evaluating sites:
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.htm
The American Psychological Association originally created a publication manual to provide a common structure for all journal manuscripts in the area of the social sciences.
Many other disciplines (including psychology, the behavioral sciences, nursing, personnel administration and many areas within education) have adopted this as their professional writing standard as well.
In an academic environment, you will often be expected to conform to this standard when writing. At this point, you should be mostly concerned with creating an accurate reference list using proper format and providing citations within the text to give credit for an idea or concept to the source from which you got it.
Print:
Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.). (2001). Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.
The library owns several copies of the style guide; however, only the 4th edition circulates (can be checked out). There are five copies of the 5th edition in reference and one on reserve. (
Websites:
Using APA format (Purdue University) - this comprehensive guide summarizes the print version of the book. Click on Your Reference List to find examples of the proper format to use when listing sources you used.
APA Style.org's Frequently Asked Questions