Search the ERIC Database

The Education Resources Information Center ( ERIC), sponsored by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) of the U.S. Department of Education, produces the world’s premier database of journal and non-journal education literature. The new ERIC online system, released in September 2004, provides the public with a centralized ERIC Web site for searching the ERIC bibliographic database of more than 1.1 million citations going back to 1966.

The ERIC Web site offers the following two interfaces for searching the database online:

BASIC SEARCH - This interface allows you to search by entering a word or phrase into a single search box. You can search by title, author, or ERIC document number. When searching for a phrase, place the term within quotation marks.

ADVANCED SEARCH - This interface allows you to combine fields when searching for more specific results. It also provides additional fields for limiting your search including: Identifier, ISBN, ISSN, Journal Name, Source Institution, and Sponsoring Agency identifier. Additionally, this interface allows you to limit your search by ERIC descriptor(s), publication type, and/or years of publication. These options are available in the lower half of the search screen.

QUICK SEARCH TIPS:

To Search for a Phrase

When searching for a phrase, choose 'Keywords' from the drop-down menu, enter the phrase, and enclose it within quotation marks. This applies to both basic and advanced searches.

To Search Using Descriptors

Descriptors are the subject terms used to index all citations in the ERIC database. Searching with these terms will make your searches more effective. However, they aren't always intuitive. For example, to search for information on inclusion, the appropriate descriptor to use is "Inclusive Schools".

Descriptors are gathered together in the online ERIC Thesaurus.

To use ERIC descriptors in your search, go to the Advanced Search interface and select 'Descriptors (from Thesaurus)' from the search box drop-down menu. Then type in the descriptor you wish to use. You can combine descriptors by using more than one search box connected with the 'AND' boolean operator.

More Search Tips

For additional information on searching the ERIC database go to the Advanced Search interface, and click on 'More Search Tips'.