English 98 :
Rethinking Education

Spring 2007

Research Tool Kit

• ERIC: Education Resources Major database of articles and reports about education. Some are fulltext.
• America History and Life Not just history-- American politics and ethnic studies as well.
• Left Index Leftist analysis of politics and culture, and Alternative Press Index.
• Expanded Academic ASAP and Academic Search Premier (interdisciplinary databases, lots of fulltext journal articles).
• Sociological Abstracts
• Ethnic Newswatch Fulltext of ethnic newspapers, but also academic journals like: Black Issues in Higher Education and The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education.
• Data on Educational Attainment, and reports like Educational Attainment in the United States, 2003 (note: these don't measure the quality of the education, just the last grade completed.)
• Dictionaries and Encyclopedias online -- when you just want to quickly look something up.
• Style Manuals How to cite articles and books.
  

1. Books: Odds are that if you're interested in a topic, someone else has been as well. You can use the data in a different way from the author, building on the work that s/he has done. Looking at books can be useful even if you don't have a well defined topic. You can start by searching the Five College Library Catalog with a keyword or two, and then branch out to related books by using the subject headings at the bottom of the record. Once you have the book in hand, check the footnotes and bibliography for sources.

2. Internet: Lots of great resources on this topic, from well respected sources (lots of opinions of all kinds as well!) Here's some that looked interesting, from respected sources.
   • NCREL: Closing the Achievement Gaps
   • Pew Hispanic Center -- include reports on Education
   • Achievement Gap and Obstacles Affecting Latina/o Educational Development
   • Urban Institute Reports including Gender Gaps in Math and Reading Gains During Elementary and High School by Race and Ethnicity
   • Institute for Urban and Minority Education: Academic Achievement Gaps: Background & Status
   • Taskforce on the Education of Maryland's African American Males -- All members of the Task Force felt that school, itself, is an at-risk environment for. African-American male youth.

      

Questions? Comments? Susan Edwards (seedwards), 413-542-2676.

Amherst College > Library > Research > English 98