This research guide provides tips on finding empirical articles for your EDPS 667 assignments. Three databases are recommended and you may want to try using more than one of these.
PsycINFO is especially useful because it specifically indexes the methodology used for articles. You can use checkboxes on the Advanced Search screen to narrow results down to those that use specific methodologies - more explanation. PsycINFO has broad coverage of the social sciences, including education.
ERIC is the main index for education journals. The articles in ERIC are not indexed by methodology, so you will need to vet the articles to see if they are empirical articles. After executing the search, you can filter your results by choosing Scholarly Journals in the left sidebar to take some things like PhD theses off the list.
Google Scholar can be a great way to find articles. Although it won't provide ways to filter by methodology or by research articles, it does include many empirical research articles. The most important tip for using Google Scholar is to always use a link from the EMU Library to access Google Scholar, so that you get access to full text of articles via the EMU Library. In addition to journal articles, Google Scholar results will include books, theses, and other scholarly documents. When scanning the list of results, look for both an article title and a journal title in the entry.
Finding the full text of an article can be challenging, but full text may be only a few clicks away. Use the steps outlined in the handout Finding Full Text Articles: The Persistent Method (linked on this page).
If you are new to using these databases, I highly recommend the Search Tutorial, which will help you master ERIC and PsycINFO.
If you aren't finding what you need, there is no need to spend many hours looking. Make an appointment for some one-on-one coaching with a librarian over Zoom. Some topics are difficult to research and a librarian can usually help you find a search strategy that works for your topic.
If your professor wants you to format the article using APA style, there is a handy MSWord template and other tips linked from the APA formatting page of this guide.
