Educational research has seen significant changes over the last thirty years, including the introduction of internet-based search options, the rise of the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) field, and the introduction of interdisciplinary methods such as evidence synthesis approaches. In this time, the number and variety of periodical publications, specifically journals and trade magazines, related to the field of education has grown.
As the field of education has become more complex, more interdisciplinary and more rigorous methods desirable, questions arise around where and how to search for educational information to ensure coverage, especially in evidence synthesis projects. Furthermore, librarians at institutions where educational research is conducted need better information to inform purchasing and collections decisions around which education databases are needed to support teaching and research.
This session will present the preliminary findings of a database comparison evaluating coverage at the journal (ISSN) level of key subject-specific databases in the field of education including the Educational Resources Information Center commonly known as ERIC, Education Research Complete (EBSCO), and Education Database (ProQuest). This method was chosen as it provides an effective overview and avoids using journal citation reports which have proven problematic as they rely on Web of Science data (Corby, 2009) and is the method recommended for initial findings of database coverage overlap (Gluck, 1990).
Using recent samples of evidence synthesis publications in the education field as examples, the presenters will engage with the audience through electronic polling to consider the implications of the preliminary findings. This critical and timely analysis provides updated information for educational researchers and librarians conducting evidence synthesis research in an area that has received little recent consideration (Strayer, 2008; Brown, 2003) while sharing the findings of an analysis that can support informed decision making on education database purchasing.
