ERIC

SEARCHING

Library Homepage:  http://www.msubillings.edu/library

Two versions of ERIC:

AskERIC:  http://askeric.org/Eric/

OCLC ERIC:  Library Homepage  >  Electronic Indexes & Resources  >  ERIC (OCLC)

STEP ONE:  Searching

1)      Type in words you think are relevant.  Limit years/language/document type if necessary.

2)      Look at the records.  Write down descriptors/subjects that are relevant.

3)      Back up and search again, typing in your descriptors and searching "Descriptors" instead of "Keyword."

STEP TWO:  Understanding Search Results

There are two types of documents that will be retrieved by an ERIC search:

1)      ED:  Education Documents.  These are reports, sample lesson plans, curricula, and other documents prepared by the US Dept of Education.  The Library receives most of these.  They are in microfiche format and can be found in the gray and black cabinets in the Microform Area, 2nd Floor.

2)      EJ:  Education Journals.  These are journal article citations.  To learn how to locate an EJ, proceed to Step Three.

STEP THREE:  Locating an Article

Once you've found an EJ citation that you would like to get, do the following:

1)      See if the Library has the journal by checking in the Library Catalog.  Click on "Library Catalog" from the homepage.  Type in the journal title and click on "Periodical Title."  If the Library owns the item, it will tell you what years we have, and where it is located in the building.

2)      See if the Library has the journal in electronic format by checking the Full-Text Finder.  From the Library homepage, click on "Full-Text Finder" under "Find Articles."  Type in the journal title.  If the journal is available full-text in an electronic index, a link to the appropriate index will appear on the screen.

STEP FOUR:  Interlibrary Loan

When the Library does not have the journal, either in the building or in electronic format, you may request the article via Interlibrary Loan.  Fill out an online request form.  From the Library Homepage, click on "ILL/Resource Sharing" under "Library Services," and complete the appropriate online form.