Library -- Guide to ERIC (SilverPlatter version)

ERIC (SilverPlatter version)
Educational Resources Information Center
ERIC Indexes journals, books, and documents on all aspects of education in the United States. Access ERIC from the Ely Library Home page at: <http://www.lib.wsc.ma.edu/>, under Quick Links to Databases. This link will search records from 1966 to the present. To search more than one database at a time, click on the Databases button on the navigation bar to your right. On the Database Selection Page, click in any of the boxes next to the databases you would like to search, then click Open Selected Databases.

**Page Contents**
To Construct a Search	Results Page:	To Mark Records	To Change Display Options
Valid Search Statements		To Retrieve Full-Text	To Identify Document Types
Combining Previous Searches		To Print Records
Limit Fields		To Email Records	If You Are Timed Out
Using the Thesaurus		To Save to Disk	Help
	Continue through the guide or Start Searching

Basic Search Guide

To Construct a Search:

Select one or more fields in which to search, or leave the selection as the default, "Words Anywhere". Searching by Title, Author, and Subject are available from this search screen.
Select the language of records you would like to retrieve.
If desired, further narrow your search by using the Limit Your Search option. Fields will be specific to ERIC.
Type a word or phrase in the text entry area. Make use of the Suggest or Thesaurus options to focus your search. Searching with Thesaurus terms usually produces the most relevant results.
Click Start Search. WebSPIRS performs the search and indicates how many records it finds.
To interrupt a search at any time, hit the Escape key on your keyboard.

Example of the Basic Search Screen:

Valid Search Statements

Below are the types of searches you can create in the Search page. You can also use the Search Builder to identify specific fields for your terms (Author, Title, Journal Name, etc.).

A search like this:	Finds records containing:
elementary	the word "elementary" in any field
internet and sales	both terms in the same record in any field
travel or tourism	either or both terms in any field of any record
2000 Olympics	the phrase "2000 Olympics" or "Olympics 2000" in any field
2000 adj Olympics	the phrase "2000 Olympics" in that order in any field
child* (truncation)	child, children, childhood, and so on
wom?n (wildcard)	woman or women
freud in au	Freud in the author field (au)
#3	a previous search request

Combining Previous Searches:

You will have the option to combine previous searches in this system. To do so,

Click on the right hand button, Searches, to see your Search History for a complete list of previous searches.
Click the box beside the searches you want combined. Select "AND" or "OR". Click Combine Checked. Keep in mind that any searches with a small number of results will come out even smaller (often "0") when combined using "AND".
If you want to revise a previous search without typing it over, check it and click on Re-type Checked.

Example of Search History page:

To Limit Your Search

Limit your search in the following areas by clicking the Limit Search button on the main search screen. You can also apply certain limits when you type your search request in the Find field on the Search page (see below).

PY - Publication Year
DT - Document Type Limit your search to journal articles, books, guides, etc.
CP - Country of Publication
TA - Target Audience Limit to administrators, parents, policymakers, students, support-staff, teachers, etc.
LA - Language (This is easiest to do from the basic search screen)
GL - Government Level
CH - Clearinghouse

Examples: CS [Reading, English, and Communication], EC [Disabilities and Gifted Education], HE [Higher Education], PS [Elementary and Early Childhood Education], SE [Science, Mathematics, and Environmental Education], SO [Social Studies/Social Science Education], TM [Assessment and Evaluation], UD [Urban Education]

FI - Source File Limit to EJ [for Journal Citations] or ED [for ERIC documents and books]

NOTE: For more information on these limit options, see "Searching with WebSPIRS" from the online HELP file.

**Typing Limit Fields in Your Search**
How To Find...	Search Statement
...records for journal articles on IQ:	IQ AND DT=journal-articles
OR:	IQ AND FI=EJ
...records for books on curriculum:	curriculum AND DT=books
...everything on violence EXCEPT dissertations:	violence NOT DT=dissertations
...materials on ADHD published after 1998	adhd AND py>1998

NOTE: Both Upper or Lower case will work.

**Document Types**
For tips, see Typing Limit Fields in Your Search
dt=articles	dt=guides	dt=dissertations
dt=books	dt=legal-or-legislative-or-regulatory-materials	dt=tests
dt=reports	dt=multilingual-or-bilingual-materials	dt=ERIC-digest-in-full-text
For a complete list of Document Types, click the Limit Search button on the main search screen.

Using the Thesaurus

Searching in the Thesaurus:

Use the online thesaurus to select the preferred indexing terms for your search. This usually results in more relevant searches.

Type a term or phrase in the main search box.
Click on the Thesaurus button on the bar to the right of your search screen.
The Thesaurus Subject List will be displayed with terms from the thesaurus that include your first word.
You may select more than one term from this list to search or you can see details for a particular term by clicking on it. These details may include a Scope Note (definition), Broader (less specific), Narrower (more specific), and/or Related terms.
To search the term you have selected, click on search subject at the top of your screen.
To select a different search term from the thesaurus, click on it, then click on search subject at the top of your screen.
A results list from your selected thesaurus terms will be retrieved.
This list will not reflect any previously selected limits such as Language or Document Type.

Example of a Thesaurus Subject List:

Back to Construct a Search.

Suggest a Search Term:
Type a possible subject and click Suggest on the right bar of your search screen to see subject terms from the Thesaurus that might result in a better search. From the list of suggested subject terms select one to learn more about it from the Thesaurus and to start searching.

Results Page

The Results page allows you to mark, print, save, and mail the records retrieved by the current search. In this database, terms of certain fields are linked. If you click on a linked Descriptor, WebSPIRS searches for the term. Return to Searches to combine the new descriptor with any other search terms used previously.

To mark records:

Click in the box next to the record number, such as Record 1 of 235, for any record that you want to mark.
To show only records you have marked, click Show Marked Records (right-hand bar of screen). WebSPIRS displays your marked records.

To print ERIC records (but not full-text ERIC Documents): After marking records of interest, click the Print button above the citation screen. WebSPIRS displays the Print Records page, which allows you to select and format records for printing. Click Print Records at the top right of your screen. A print box will come up. Click OK to print records you have marked. Note: You will not see what you are printing--but it will be from your search. You will be prompted to clear marked records after printing. To retrieve and print full-text ED documents (conference papers, reports, instructional materials, etc.):

Look for an ED number at the top of the record.

If the PY (Publication Year) is 1996 or more recent, look for the DL field.

This should be a linked web address.

Click on the link to get to the E*Subscribe record for this unpublished ERIC Document.

In a new browser window, Adobe Acrobat Reader will load with a PDF copy of the fiche document that can be printed out.

To print this document (Caution: some are over 60 pages!), click on the Adobe printer icon

on the far left of the Adobe toolbar just above your screen. Do not use Browser print options as they will not work and may crash your system.

When you are finished looking at or printing an ERIC Document, close the browser window to return to your ERIC Search.

To save records: Click the Save button in the citation screen. WebSPIRS displays the Save Records page, which allows you to select and format records for saving to a disk. Insert a formatted disk in the floppy drive. Click on Save Records, enter a name for your file, and click on Save. You will be prompted to clear marked records after saving.

To mail records: Click E-mail. WebSPIRS displays the Mail Records page, which allows you to select and format records to mail to an e-mail address. Be sure to include your full address: username@foma.wsc.ma.edu. Click on the Close button after mailing. You will be prompted to clear marked records after e-mailing. Display Options:

To change display options, click Change Display button under the search box or at the top of your results screen.
Select how field names are displayed, how records are sorted, and which fields are displayed.
At the top of your screen, click on Confirm Changes.
Any changes you make will remain in effect until you log off the system, or change them again.

Document Types and Descriptors:

To quickly determine what type of document you are looking at, find the DT field in any record.
For subjects you might find helpful to use in another search, look for the DEM (Major Descriptor) or DER (Minor Descriptor) fields.

Help

If You Are Timed Out:

A message Please Select Another Database will pop up. Click on OK.
The Select Databases screen will load. Chose your database and begin searching.

To search more than one database at a time, click on the Databases button on the navigation bar to your right. On the Database Selection Page, click in any of the boxes next to the databases you would like to search, then click Open Selected Databases.
For online help once logged into ERIC, click on the HELP button on the right-hand bar on your ERIC screen. There you will find information about the specific task you are performing, as well as links to Help Contents.
Help is also available at the Reference Desk.

Please Log Out when you are finished with your search

URL: http://www.lib.wsc.ma.edu/sp/ericweb.htm
Page maintained by Corinne Ebbs

Last updated July 23, 2004