Preliminary Research
A bit of preliminary research will help you determine the viability of your research topic as well as assist you in narrowing the scope of your topic. Your professor can advise with the development of your topic. The library has access to many subject-specialized reference sources that would assist in this initial step, such as reference sources about administrative leadership, school climate and planning, poverty and equity, facility planning, standards, and more.
Below, you will find a list of resources that may be useful in this first stage of research:
- Credo Reference This link opens in a new windowFull text resource for a diverse range of subjects. Types of sources include general and subject dictionaries and encyclopedias.
- Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education This link opens in a new windowA dynamic, peer-reviewed digital encyclopedia continuously updated by the world’s leading scholars and researchers (Oxford University Press)
- WSU Library CatalogContains all WSU titles for books, ebooks, videos, government documents, and print journal titles (no individual articles).
- Gale Virtual Reference Library (GVRL) This link opens in a new windowAccess to standard and academic reference sources on a wide range of topics, including business, law, literature, medicine, technology, and more.
- Reference Universe This link opens in a new windowSearch the indices of Krueger Library's Reference Collection (print and electronic books).
General Encyclopedia vs. Subject Encyclopedia
A general encyclopedia will contain information about a wide range of topics.
The articles are:
- written by an editor or staff writer (not necessarily experts)
- not typically signed, meaning no author is listed
- short in length
- provide an overview on a topic, but may not include specific or detailed information
- Examples:
- Encyclopedia Britannica (Online database)
- Encyclopedia Americana (Printed set in the Reference Collection, REF AE5 .E333)
A subject encyclopedia will be more focused and detailed information on a specific subject.
The articles are:
- written typically by an author with professional knowledge or educational background on the topic
- signed by the author
- longer in length; word length varies
- more detailed and specific about a topic than a general encyclopedia
- sources are often cited
- Examples:
- Early Childhood Education: An International Encyclopedia (Online via Credo Reference)
- Encyclopedia of Social and Cultural Foundations of Education (Reference Collection, REF LB17 E53 2009)
- Encyclopedia of School Psychology (Reference Collection, REF LB1027.55 E523 2005)
- Encyclopedia of Educational Psychology (Reference Collection, REF LV1050.9 E63 2008)
Encyclopedias
- Credo Reference This link opens in a new windowFull text resource for a diverse range of subjects. Types of sources include general and subject dictionaries and encyclopedias.
The Continuum Encyclopedia of Children's Literature by Call Number: Online - Credo ReferenceISBN: 9781849721301Publication Date: 2006-02-14With 1,200 biographical-critical entries and nearly 100 topical articles all written by experts in the field, The Continuum Encyclopedia of Children's Literature is the most complete and up-to-date single-volume reference source on the subject. The work covers 150 years of children's literature in many cultures: The United States, Great Britain, Canada, continental Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Africa, and Asia. Biographical-critical entries include authors as well as illustrators. A distinguished board of advisers, made up of scholars, editors, librarians, authors, and artists, has helped make this encyclopedia even more user-friendly.
Early Childhood Education by Call Number: Online - Credo ReferenceISBN: 9780313331008Publication Date: 2007-01-30Early childhood education has reached a level of unprecedented national and international focus. Parents, policy makers, and politicians have opinions as well as new questions about what, how, when, and where young children should learn. Teachers and program administrators now find curriculum discussions linked to dramatic new understandings about children's early learning and brain development. Early childhood education is also a major topic of concern internationally, as social policy analysts point to its role in a nation's future economic outlook. As a groundbreaking contribution to its field, this four-volume handbook discusses key historical and contemporary issues, research, theoretical perspectives, national policies, and practices. A wealth of information provides the user with up-to-date expert entries on a plethora of topics. Over three hundred entries in volumes 1, 2, and 3 cover such topics as: accountability assessment biculturalism bullying child abuse early intervention ethnicity Head Start No Child Left Behind Zero to three
The SAGE Encyclopedia of Contemporary Early Childhood Education by Call Number: Online - Credo ReferenceISBN: 9781483340357Publication Date: 2016-09-02The general public often views early childhood education as either simply "babysitting" or as preparation for later learning. Of course, both viewpoints are simplistic. Deep understanding of child development, best educational practices based on development, emergent curriculum, cultural competence and applications of family systems are necessary for high-quality early education. Highly effective early childhood education is rare in that it requires collaboration and transitions among a variety of systems for children from birth through eight years of age. The SAGE Encyclopedia of Contemporary Early Childhood Education presents in three comprehensive volumes advanced research, accurate practical applications of research, historical foundations and key facts from the field of contemporary early childhood education. Through approximately 425 entries, this work includes all areas of child development - physical, cognitive, language, social, emotional, aesthetic - as well as comprehensive review of best educational practices with young children, effective preparation for early childhood professionals and policy making practices, and addresses such questions as: · How is the field of early childhood education defined? · What are the roots of this field of study? · How is the history of early childhood education similar to yet different from the study of public education? · What are the major influences on understandings of best practices in early childhood education?
- Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education This link opens in a new windowA dynamic, peer-reviewed digital encyclopedia continuously updated by the world’s leading scholars and researchers (Oxford University Press)
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Literature Reviews: What are they?
What is a Literature Review? - a helpful video created by the North Carolina State University Library.
