ERIC (Education Resources Information Center) - Short Review

Product Overview: Education Resources Information Center (ERIC)

The Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) is a comprehensive, internet-based bibliographic and full-text database dedicated to providing extensive access to education research and information. Sponsored by the Institute of Education Sciences within the U.S. Department of Education, ERIC serves as a vital resource for academics, researchers, educators, policymakers, and the general public.

What ERIC Does

ERIC is designed to improve teaching, learning, and educational decision-making by offering a centralized platform for searching and accessing a vast array of education-related materials. The database includes citations, abstracts, and full-text documents from various sources such as journal articles, books, research syntheses, conference papers, technical reports, dissertations, theses, and policy papers, among others.

Key Features

• Extensive Collection: ERIC contains over 1.5 million bibliographic records, with hundreds of new records added every week. Approximately one quarter of the collection is available in full text, primarily in Adobe PDF format.
• Historical Coverage: The database covers educational literature from 1966 to the present, making it a valuable resource for both current and historical research.

Functionality

• Search Capabilities: ERIC operates as a bibliographic search engine, allowing users to search through the Current Index to Journals in Education (CIJE) for journal articles and Resources in Education (RIE) for other ERIC documents. It provides advanced search options, including the ability to narrow searches using specific descriptors and thesaurus terms.
• Thesaurus of ERIC Descriptors: This controlled vocabulary helps users find information by subject, using a hierarchical structure that includes ‘Use’, ‘Broader Terms’, ‘Narrower Terms’, and ‘Related Terms’. This feature enhances the precision of searches and facilitates the discovery of relevant materials.
• Full-Text Access: While not all documents are available in full text, ERIC provides links to publisher websites and library holdings for accessing the full text of journal articles and other materials. For older documents, especially those with ED numbers, the full text may be available in microfiche collections.
• Cross-Database Searching: ERIC can be accessed through various platforms, including EBSCOhost, which allows cross-searching with other databases. This feature expands the scope of research by integrating multiple resources.
• API and Data Export: ERIC offers an Application Programming Interface (API) that enables researchers and developers to access and export metadata for analysis and data display. This feature is particularly useful for large-scale research projects.

Additional Benefits

• User-Friendly Interface: ERIC is designed to be easy to use, with features such as limit options to narrow searches and relevancy-ranked results to ensure that the most relevant information is readily available.
• Public Access: ERIC provides a free, publicly accessible version, making educational research and information widely available to all users.
• Targeted Search Options: The database includes education-specific search strategies, such as selecting the level of education or information about education laws and policies, which are particularly useful for focused research.

In summary, ERIC is an indispensable tool for anyone involved in education research, offering a robust and user-friendly platform for accessing a vast and diverse collection of educational resources. Its advanced search features, extensive coverage, and public accessibility make it a premier resource in the field of education.