---

 

ENG 504 Seminar in the Composing Process: Rhetoric and Analysis
ENG 505 Participant-Observations Experience: Composing Process
AED 663 Research in the Teaching of English

 

---

 

AED 663

Research in the Teaching of English

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION

 

Welcome to AED 663. In this course, you will write a review of the literature focusing primarily on reports of empirical research published in peer reviewed academic journals.  You will select a topic in the English Language Arts; locate, read, and analyze sources that will enable you to define and narrow the topic; read and evaluate relevant empirical research articles on the narrowed topic; synthesize and organize your notes; write, revise and redraft your paper; and edit it for correctness and adherence to APA style.

 

The course is designed to enable you to reflect critically on your practice and become a researcher of your teaching and of your students’ learning; attain knowledge and understanding of research theory and findings in English Language Arts by reading and critiquing research studies in English Education; and use major sources of research and theory (books, periodicals, reports, conference proceedings, electronic databases) to understand the relationship between research and practice and to understand and evaluate educational practice

 

 

Syllabus

Assignments

Additional Resources

 

 

---

 

 

State University College at Cortland
Department of English

AED 663-001 Research in the Teaching of English

Credit Hours: 3
Semester: Spring                                                
Location:                                                                              
Professor: Mary Lynch Kennedy
Office: OM 115B                                                 
Office Hours:
Telephone: 607-753-2086, 607-257-6676 (H)
E-mail: kennedym@cortland.edu
Webpage: http://facultyweb.cortland.edu/kennedym/
Online Writing Resource Center: http://www2.cortland.edu/departments/english/wrc/

 

Research provides us with a lens to consider our practice from a more philosophical perspective. Research cannot tell us specifically what to do tomorrow. It does provide principles on which to plan strategies which are likely to be effective with our specific students. But not all research is of equal value to us. One of our professional responsibilities is to critically evaluate information, not to accept it on blind faith. To persuade us and our professional colleagues of its importance, we critically evaluate research reports considering such issues as its intensiveness, systematicity and ethics as we decide how much weight to give the findings.   (46)                                                                                        
Brause, R. &  Mayher, S. (1991). Search and re-search: What the inquiring teacher needs to know. Bristol, PA: Farmer Press.

 

Course Description
This study of empirical investigations of the teaching of English will culminate in students writing a review of research in a particular aspect of teaching English.

 

Literature Review Article
In this course, you will write a review of the literature focusing primarily on reports of empirical research published in peer reviewed academic journals.  You will select a topic in the English Language Arts; locate, read, and analyze sources that will enable you to define and narrow the topic; read and evaluate relevant empirical research articles on the narrowed topic; synthesize and organize your notes; write, revise and redraft your paper; and edit it for correctness and adherence to APA style.

 

Texts & Requirements

Galvan, Jose L. Writing Literature Reviews, 4th ed., Glendale, CA: Pyrczak, 2009                                                 
Blackboard, participation in all aspects
APA Formatting and Style Guide http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/.  Use APA style for all assignments in 663. Also useful: Son of Citation Machine: http://citationmachine.net/

             

Course Attendance Policy

Regular class attendance is a basic requirement for the course.

 

Discussion
We will use an online discussion to build a research community by responding to reading assignments, reflecting on class activities, posing questions, sharing resources, and helping each other out.

 

Academic Honesty

As a student at SUNY Cortland, you are expected to uphold the values of academic integrity at all times. Always submit your own work. Information about the College policy, examples of plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty, and the College's procedures for handling dishonesty are in the SUNY Cortland College Handbook, Chapter 340. Extensive information is also available at the online Writing Resource Center: http://www2.cortland.edu/departments/english/wrc/. Click first on Resources for Students and then on Academic Honesty.If you are confused about whether or not to cite a source, or about the proper way to do so, do not hesitate to ask for help.  I would much rather assist you with your writing process than watch you make a mistake that could hurt your academic career.

Professional Dispositions Statement

One goal of this course is to provide opportunities for continuous positive growth toward strong teaching skills and dispositions as reflected in the Assessment of Candidate’s Professional Dispositions.  Positive teaching dispositions are a basic requirement for all successful completion of the AEN program.  In the event of problematic demonstrations of teaching disposition, incidents will be documented and the departmental and Teacher Education Council Fair Practice Policy and Procedures for action will be followed. Two documents, the “English Department Adolescence English Education Programs Professional Dispositions Policy” and the “Amelioration Process within Adolescent English Education Programs,” are attached to this syllabus.

Evaluation of Student Performance                                                               

 

The grade for this course is calculated on the basis of the connected, cumulative assignments listed in the table below. The various assignments count for a total of 100 points. Students cannot receive a passing grade unless they have completed all the assignments in a timely manner.
Grading: A = 90 pts. or more; B+ = 86 pts. or more; B = 80 pts. or more, C+ = 76 pts.  or more, C = 70 pts. or more, and so on. I will give grades of A through E. There will be no grades of Incomplete in this course.

 

Literature Review Article (LRA) Assignments, Dates, and Points

ASSIGNMENT	DATE DUE	POINTS
663 folder sequenced as follows: (1) topic statement, (2) reference list of secondary sources, (3) reference list of 20 primary sources		5
three- to four-page essay in which you define and discuss your topic		10
annotated reference list of quantitative studies		5
outline describing the area/ categories of your topic		5
annotated reference list of qualitative studies		5
two sets of tables		5
LRA		15
revision of LRA		15
presentation		10
final version of LRA		20
other short assignments		5
		100

 

Importance of deadlines

To successfully complete this course, you must submit each assignment on the due it is due.

 

Mastery of writing

Poorly written assignments with goof-ups in sentence structure, grammar, and mechanics will be highly detrimental to your credibility as a teacher and disastrous to your grade in 663. A source of help is the Academic Support and Achievement Program (ASAP) http://www.cortland.edu/asap/ ,Van Hoesen Hall, Room B-205. Tutors are available at (607) 753-4309. Make an appointment early in the semester, and if necessary, set up regular meetings to go over all of your writing assignments.

 

TaskStream

If you have not yet subscribed to TaskStream, please go to https://www.taskstream.com/pub/ and do so immediately. At the end of the semester, you will upload the Literature Review Article to TaskStream.   

   

Objectives and Outcomes
Course objectives are keyed to the NCATE Program Standards prepared by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). The course is designed to enable you to

reflect critically on your practice and become a researcher of your teaching and of your students’ learning (2.3, 2.4)

attain knowledge and understanding of research theory and findings in English Language Arts by reading and critiquing research studies in English Education (3.7, 3.7.1, 3.7.2)

use major sources of research and theory (books, periodicals, reports, conference proceedings, electronic and non-electronic databases) to understand the relationship between research and practice and to understand and evaluate educational practice (3.7.1)

use teacher-researcher models of classroom inquiry and gain knowledge and skill in methods of conducting research (3.7.2)

fulfill the requirement for the Review of the Literature essay for the M.A.T. and M.S.Ed. programs (3.2.2, 3.2.3, 3.4, 3.7)

 

Word 2007, the software that is installed in Cortland labs, is not compatible with the versions of Word some of us use on our home computers. When sending work to your classmates, you may have to save Word 2007 files with the “Save As” command and select an earlier version of Word.

Course Schedule and Activities
The following schedule provides a general overview of the course. Each week you will receive a detailed agenda and more specific assignments.

 

Assignments (JG=Jose Galvan)

Other assignments will be announced.           

          

Week 1                                                                                                                                                                         
Introductions, orientation                                                                                                                                                 
Introduction to the genre: empirical research article
Introduction to the genre: literature review article

 

HW:
1. Go to Cyberlab for Psychological Research http://faculty.frostburg.edu/mbradley/cyberlab.html and complete the tutorials for the following topics: Theories, Phases of research, Research methods, Sources for information, Journal articles.
2. Carefully read pp. 1-29 JG.
3. Select a topic of interest in the area of English Language Arts (reading, writing, speaking, listening). Refer to TOPICS, JOURNALS, DATABASES.
4. Immerse yourself in the topic. Locate and read relevant entries in reference books (some titles are listed later in this syllabus) and other secondary sources (books and articles). You may also read primary sources. Take notes.
5. Begin the three- to four-page essay in which you will define and discuss your topic. Use the Purdue OWL APA Formatting and Style Guide to record all citations and references in APA format. The essay is due 2/17.

 

Week 2
Class with Lorraine Melita, Coordinator of Reference and Instruction, Memorial Library

HW:
1. Use SEARCHING DATABASES to continue your search of relevant databases. Be sure to take the database tutorials. Expand or narrow your search further until you have at least 20 primary sources, i.e., empirical research articles. If you have not located 20 empirical research articles, redefine your topic.
2. Prepare two bibliographies, formatted as APA References lists, one for your primary sources and the other for your secondary sources.
3. Articulate a broad research question:  WHAT EVIDENCE DO QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE RESEARCH STUDIES PROVIDE ABOUT ________________?
4. Write a topic statement (including goals) comparable to the one in JG 25, 3.10.2
On 2/10, you will hand in your 663 folder. Sequence the assignments as follows: (1) research question, (2) topic statement, (3) reference list of secondary sources, (4) reference list of primary sources.

Week 3
Hand in 663 folder.
Quantitative research studies
Galvan, J. Analyzing quantitative research, 43-54

HW:

Read JG 43-54. Identify the quantitative studies on your reference list of primary sources. Using the questions on 53-54, write a three- to four- sentence annotation of each study. Hand in this annotated reference list of quantitative studies on 2/17.

Follow the guidelines on 31-42 JG to read and analyze the articles on your primary source reference list. Expand or narrow the list if necessary. Identify the major trends, patterns, and gaps in the literature, and explain the relationships among the research studies (JG 39-40). Use Question 2 (41) to create an outline describing the area/ categories of your topic. Hand in the outline on 2/17.

 

Week 4
Hand in annotated reference list and outline.
Qualitative research studies
Gavan, J. Analyzing qualitative research literature, 55-62

HW:

Read JG 55-62. Identify the qualitative studies on your reference list of primary sources. Using the questions on 61-62, write a three- to four- sentence annotation of each study. Hand in this annotated reference list of qualitative studies on 2/24.

 

Week 5
Hand in annotated reference list.
Literature Review Article
Building tables
Synthesizing research, writing the first draft, and developing a coherent essay

HW:

Read assigned Literature Review Articles

Read JG “Building Tables to Summarize Literature,” 63-69. Construct two tables, one for your primary sources and the other for your secondary sources, and submit them on 3/3.

Read the following three chapters in JG and follow the guidelines as you write your LRA: “Synthesizing Literature Prior to Writing a Review,”71-79; “Guidelines for Writing a First Draft,” 81-90; “Guidelines for Developing a Coherent Essay,” 91-97. The LRA is due on 3/10.

 

Week 6
Submit your two sets of tables.
Assigned LRAs
Synthesizing research, writing the first draft, and developing a coherent essay (con’t)

HW:
Finish writing your LRA. Format the paper according to APA Guidelines. Use the guidelines under “General Format” at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/. Also use the guidelines on this site to format in-text citations and the Reference List.

 

Week 7
Hand in your LRA.
Catch up week. Topics TBA.

 

HW:

Send a Word attachment of your Literature Review Article to your peer.

Use the Comments Feature of Microsoft Word to comment on your peer’s paper.

Give substantive answers to the peer review questions.

Return the paper, with the comments, and your responses to the questions by Friday, 3/12.

If you have never used the Comments Feature of Microsoft Word, familiarize yourself with it.  Go to the HELP menu (About adding comments and keeping track of changes) and/or access the following websites:
http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/comments.html

 

Week 8
Spring Break

 

Week 9
No class: one-on-one conferences. Your LRA will be returned in conference. The revision is due 4/21.

 

Week 10
Preparations for presentations
Topic: TBA

 

Week 11
Independent work

 

Week 12
Independent work

Scholars’ Day

 

Week 13
Five presentations
Hand in 663 folder containing, in the following order: the revised version of the LRA, the version that I returned in conference (along with my comments), and a printout of the peer review that you received.

 

Week 14
Five presentations

 

Week 15
Four presentations

I return LRA.

Edit your LRA.

Hand in the final version of your LRA and upload it to TaskStream.

 

If you are a student with a disability and wish to request accommodations, please contact the Office of Student Disability Services located at B-40 Van Hoesen Hall or call (607) 753-2066 for an appointment. Information regarding your disability will be treated in a confidential manner. Because many accommodations require early planning, requests should be made as early as possible.        

 

---

                      

 

Assignment

 

EVALUATION OF THE RESEARCH PRESENTATION

PEER REVIEW QUESTIONS FOR LITERATURE REVIEW

LITERATURE REVIEW STUDENT SAMPLES

 

 

EVALUATION OF THE RESEARCH PRESENTATION

 

Please rate on a scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high).

 

_____ sufficient background and context

 

_____ explanation of how presenter got from the big picture to the narrowed area of research

 

_____ clear explanation of research question

 

_____ adequate definitions of terms

 

_____ thorough explanation of underlying theories

 

_____ in-depth review of the empirical research

 

_____ detailed explanation of implications of the research for pedagogy

 

_____ mention of areas for future research

 

_____ informative, detailed hand out

 

_____ lively delivery

 

POWERPOINT

 

_____ Slides are organized and presented in a manner that allows viewers to understand material; appropriate amount of material and text presented; title and summary slide included

 

_____Slide design is clear, consistent, professional, and appropriate; spacing is appropriate; good use of white space and design elements. Layout and design elements (size, color, etc) of text is clear, appropriate and easy to read

 

_____Demonstrated skill in presentation software; complexity of PP; sophistication of technology employed; interactive quality 

http://www.framingham.edu/faculty/jschwartz/nutn486/Forms/powerpoint_presentation_evaluati.htm

 

PLEASE WRITE YOUR COMMENTS ON THE BACK OF THIS SHEET

 

 

PEER REVIEW QUESTIONS FOR LITERATURE REVIEW

 

 

Read through the Literature Review Article from beginning to end. Then reread it. Type out detailed, substantive responses to the peer review questions and email them to the writer.

Revise your paper in accordance with your peer reviewer’s comments. You will hand in the peer review with the revised draft of your LRA.

1. What specific research question does the literature review help to define?

 

2. Is the question clearly articulated?

3. Is it clear to the reader that the writer’s purpose is to go beyond a description of the research conducted in the specific area? Is it clear that the writer’s purpose is synthesis, interpretation, and evaluation?

 

4. Comment on the organization.

1. Comment on the appropriateness of the title.

 

2. Does the writer provide an abstract of about 200 words?

3. Is the abstract well written? (See p. 83 of the CP. For example, “This article reviews fifteen studies investigating  the relationship between adolescents’ self-efficacy and their writing. In ten of the studies reviewed, . . . . However, in five studies . . . . The findings suggest . . . ). What is missing from the abstract?

 

4. Are the subheadings logical, and do they advance the writer’s argument?

5. Does the LRA open with an interesting lead? If not, what would you suggest as an opener?

 

6. In the early section of the introduction, does the writer give information that

• demonstrates the topic’s significance and explains why it is worth examining (See Galvan, p. 82)?

• provides ample background on the topic (i.e., starts big and zeroes in to the specific questions the LRA seeks to answer)?

• explains the theories related to the topic?

 

If not, what is missing?

7. In the introduction, does the writer include a roadmap – a statement outlining the organization of the paper and the writer’s line of argument?

 

8. Does the writer state what will and will not becovered , if this is appropriate?

9. In the introductory section and throughout the LRA, does the writer distinguish between research findings and other sources of information, as illustrated in Galvan, p. 83?

 

10. Does the writer define key terms for the reader?

11. In the Review section of the LRA, are the research studies categorized, compared, contrasted, and evaluated in detail ? Or are they simply described and summarized? In other words, instead of just listing and summarizing each study, does the writer identify relations among the research studies, and point out such things as controversies, contradictions, gaps, and inconsistencies?

 

12. Does the writer

• make succinct conclusions based on the review?

• discuss the implications of the studies discussed?

• give a judgment of what the studies show?

• indicate where we should go from here?

 

If not, what is missing?

13. Are all of the writer’s assertions supported by evidence?

 

14. Do too many paragraphs begin with the name(s) of the researcher(s)? (See Galva, p. 93).

15. Is the review organized into sections that present themes or identify trends, including relevant theory? Are the section headings specific enough to be useful to the reader?

 

5. Comment on conventions.

1. Does the writer use specific language and support his or her arguments with concrete examples? Are there too many vague references, e.g., “this,” as in “this illustrates” instead of “this experiment illustrates.”

 

2. Does the writer cite researchers appropriately (See tips of the 663 Agenda, 2/25).

3. Does the writer rely primarily on paraphrases instead of direct quotations?

 

4. Has the writer given credit where credit is due? Are all the needed in-text citations included in the LRA and are they correctly documented according to APA style?

5. Compare the sources cited in the text with the list of sources on the References page. Do they match up? If not, which ones are missing?

 

6. Is the Reference page correctly formatted?

6. Comment on the scope of the review.

 

1. Has the search been wide enough to ensure that the writer found all relevant material? Has it been narrow enough to exclude irrelevant material?

2. A goal of the literature review is to integrate findings from empirical research in the subject area. Has the writer discussed a sufficient number of empirical sources?

 

3. In the event that little empirical research has been done in the area, does the writer discuss empirical research in related disciplines and show how that research could contribute to the subject area?

4. Does the writer justify comments such as “no studies were found” or “very little research has been done on … (See Galvan, p.87)?

 

5. Do the non-empirical, secondary sources discussed carry scholarly weight and are they credible sources?

7. Comment on the writer’s tables.

1. Does the writer provide a table for secondary sources as well as a table for the research studies?

2. Does the table of research studies provide the reader with the needed information (See Galvan, p.65)? If not, what is missing?

3. Does the writer refer you to the table at an appropriate place in the body of the LRA (for example, See Table 1 for . . .)?

 

8.  Additional suggestions for revising the paper.

 

OLDER LITERATURE REVIEWS
STUDENT SAMPLES

Samples from 2010

Literature Review Articles:

• A Critical Evaluation of Four Literacy Intervention Programs for Struggling Adolescent Readers

• Motivating the Unmotivated: The Role of Culture and Cultural Influences on Adolescents' Motivation to Read and Suceed Academically

• The Efficacy of Reading Aloud as a Strategy for Assisting Learning Disabled Adolescent Readers

•The Impact of Digital And Computer Mediated Communications on the Academic Writing of Adolescents

•A Review on the Causes of Grade Retention and its Effects on the Academic Outcomes of Older Students

• The Best Evidence-Based Pedagogical Methods for Increasing Middle School Students'

• Improving the Reading Comprehension of Middle School Learning Disabled Readers Through Direct Instruction and in Graphic Representations,
Cognitive Strategies, and Self Regulaton: A Review of Research

Samples from 2009

Literature Review Articles:

• The Extent to Which Technology is Being Used Equitably and Effectively in All ELA Middle-School and High-School Classes

• The Reading Gap? Are the boys failing or are we failing the boys?

• Examining the Effectiveness of Peer Assessment

• Examining the Relationship Between Self-Efficacy and Writing and How Self-Efficacy Affects Writing Outcomes in English Classrooms

• Construction of Adolescent Identity in the Digital World and its Implications for the ELA Classroom

• Examining the Effects of Homework on Achievement: A Research Synthesis

• Improving the Reading Abilities in Struggling Readers: A Synthesis of Current Research

•Teenage Reading: How Talking Affects Reading in Millennial Adolescents

• The Effectiveness of Technology as a Teaching Tool for English Language Learners (ELLs)

• The Effects of Digital Tools on Learning and Literacy: Using Blogs, Wikis, WeQuests and Video Games: A Synthesis of Current Research

 

Samples from 2008

Literature Review Articles:

• Does the 6+1 Trait of Writing Model Improve Student Writing? A Review of Research

• Literacy in a Digital Context: Implications of the Computer Screen and Hypertext for English Language Arts Classrooms: A Synthesis of Current Research.

• Igniting the conversation: How empirically based research helped me to promote authentic discussion in my classroom

• The Read-Aloud in the Secondary English Language Arts Classroom and its Effect on Students’ Reading Attitudes: A Synthesis of Existing Research

• No Laughing Matter: Humor in the English Language Arts Classroom

• Raising Reading and Writing Comprehension and Performance Scores for Students with Learning Disabilities in an Inclusive Classroom: A Synthesis of Existing Research

• Student -selected texts, independent reading and the effects on reading comprehension

• Teaching Topics of Interest: Narrowing the Gap in Reading Comprehension Performance

• The Relationship between Literature Circles and Student Response to Literature and Literacy Skills: A Synthesis of Existing Research

• The Effect of Silent Sustained Reading on the Attitudes of Students:

• Many Rivers to Cross: A Review of the Research on the Effects of Multicultural Literature on Students’ Attitudes toward Unfamiliar Cultures

Older Theses:

• The Motivation of Students Who Are Given Context Clues and Dictionary Definitions to Determine the Meaning of Unknown Words

• Revision Comments in Peer Review Groups

• Contextual Instruction in Vocabulary Development

• An untitled paper on developing basic writing skills

• Reading Modality and Student Engagement During Whole-Class Readings

• An Analysis of the Gender Predictive Quality of Six Language Features in Freshman Essays

• Culture in the Classroom: Recommendations for the Writing Teacher

• The Effects of Instruction on Students' Reader Responses

• Identifying the Nature of the Response in Teacher Evaluation of Students’ Writing: A qualitative study of pre-service teachers’ recollections of teacher role in their writing development

• The Effects of Formal Grammar Instruction Alternatives on Student Writing

 

 

 

---

 

 

Additional Resources

 

TOPICS, JOURNALS, DATABASES

 

A Literature Review Article is a scholarly article that reviews empirical research on a specific topic. The purpose of the review is to bring readers, middle school and/or secondary school teachers, up to date on what is known about the topic and also to provide insights about the topic. Choose a topic related to English Language Arts, read background material on the topic, and narrow it by identifying an issue, problem, or disagreement. Then carefully and thoroughly read the empirical research reports and articles on your narrowed topic.  

 

TOPICS

SAMPLE SUBJECT AREAS (terms taken from EBSCOhost Thesaurus)

Broad
Language Arts (Elementary)
Language Arts  (Middle school)
Language Arts  (Secondary)
Language Arts – Remedial teaching
Literature – Study and teaching

Narrower
Composition – language arts
Content area writing
Writing processes
Writing evaluation
Writing across the curriculum

Grammar

Listening
Listening comprehension
Listening skills

Literacy
Computer literacy
Internet literacy
Media literacy
Technological literacy
Visual literacy

Reading
Content area reading
Engaged reading
Group reading
Guided reading
Independent reading
Individualized reading
Oral reading
Reading (elementary) (middle school) (secondary)
Silent reading
Supplementary reading
Reading – research
Reading comprehension
Reading disability
Reading interest
Reading strategies

Vocabulary

EXAMPLES OF TERMS TO CROSS LIST WITH ELA TERMS

Your #1 cross-listed subject is Research. A tiny sampling of other terms: Ability, ability grouping, academic achievement, academic writing, access to computers, achievement, achievement gap, achievement motivation, active learning, apprehension, anxiety . . . learning disabilities . . . motivation. Use database thesaurus to locate additional terms.

SAMPLE OF TOPICS FROM EMPIRICAL STUDIES RELATED TO ELA (from articles and abstracts I have given you)

Interdisciplinary curricula in middle and high school classrooms
Discussion-based approaches to developing understanding
Effects of instruction in morphology
Tracking and high school English learners
Online reading comprehension strategies
Achievement inequality in high school English
Effects of teaching syllable skills
Classroom environments that support authentic discussions
Effect of teachers' personal reading habits
Discussions of student writing
Gendered Performances During Peer Revision
Literature discussion groups
Thinking and feeling poetry
Behaviors during small-group learning
Slang and Daily Oral Language
Instruction in writing
Critical literacy with adolescent girls
Instant messaging and social identity
Literature discussion groups
Reading vocabulary
Literacy instruction
Reading comprehensions of students with L.D.
Web searching
Second language learners and reading instruction
Writing-to-learn interventions
Reading interventions and struggling readers
Adolescent readers
Literacy learning out of school

PHRASE YOUR RESEARCH QUESTION AS FOLLOWS: WHAT EVIDENCE DO QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE RESEARCH STUDIES PROVIDE ABOUT ________________?

 

DATABASES  (Cortland)

Academic Search Complete
Dissertations Abstracts
Education Full Text
Education Index Retrospective
Education Research Complete
Educator's Reference Desk
ERIC
ERIC Clearinghouse on Assessment and Evaluation
JSTOR
Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe
Professional Development Collection
Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
PsycINFO 1887 to Present
ScienceDirect
SocIndex with Fulltext
Wilson OmniFile: Full Text Mega Edition

 

JOURNALS

Journals most likely to contain empirical research studies, i.e., primary sources

American Educational Research Journal
Communication Research
Contemporary Educational Psychology
Educational Research Quarterly
Educational Research Review
Journal of Educational Psychology
Journal of Educational Research
Journal of Literacy Research
Journal of Research in Reading
Journal of Research in Technology in Education
Journal of Writing Research
Reading Research Quarterly
Research in the Teaching of English
Review of Educational Research
Written Communication

Journals usually containing secondary sources and occasionally publishing empirical studies

ALAN Review
American Secondary Education
College Composition and Communication
Cognition and Instruction
Computers and Composition
Computers and Education
Computers in Human Behavior
Educational Measurement
Educational Review
English Education
English Journal
Harvard Educational Review
Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy
Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia
Journal of Learning Disabilities
Journal of Online Interactive Learning
Journal of Technology, Learning, and Assessment
Kairos
Learning and Instruction
Literacy
New Media and Society
Reading and Instruction
Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal
Reading and Writing Quarterly
Reading Online
Reading Teacher
Studies in Higher Education
Talking Points
Teachers College Record
Theory into Practice
Urban Education

 

 

 

SEARCHING DATABASES

FURTHER GUIDELINES AND INSTRUCTIONS

http://library.cortland.edu/

Find Articles
Databases by Subject: Education, Psychology, Sociology, Communications

For each of the four searches by subject area, use the database HELP function to learn how to navigate the database.

Guidelines

Within each subject area (e.g., “Education” or “Psychology”), search multiple databases. I have given you a list of relevant databases.

Use the database Thesaurus to select appropriate terms.

Search only for scholarly, peer-reviewed journals.

Familiarize yourself with the list of journals I have given you. For the review proper, you are looking for primary sources, that is, actual empirical research studies, not secondary sources or articles that simply describe or comment on the empirical studies. At the same time, keep in mind that you may need secondary sources for the introductory background section of your LRA.

Do not limit your search to full text.

Begin at the present publication date and work backwards. For example, begin by searching for articles published between 2000 and 2010.

Use the database citation function to save article citations in APA format. If the APA citation format is incorrect, edit it.

Give yourself ample time to order materials through Iliad.

Use the HELP function to learn how to do advanced searches.

Make use of links to relevant sources

Example for subject area: Education

Education Research Complete
EBSCOhost
Go to EBSCOhost Help
Use links under Welcome to learn how to set your preferences and how to select databases. I have provided you with a list of relevant databases. Then listen to the following tutorials and practice using them:

Advanced Search with Single Find Field; Creating Search and Journal Alerts
Advanced Search with Guided Style
The My EBSCOhost Personalization Folder

Under Searching, read the guidelines under each of the following links:
Basic Search
Advanced Search
Advanced Search-Guided
Search History
Visual Search
Improving Search Results
Limiters
Multi-Database Limiters
Booleans
Expanders

 

 

TOP

 

---