EDEL 4372 (Dr. Cartwright): Elementary/Middle School Language Arts & Social Studies

This guide should help you find resources for your research in elementary/middle school language arts and social studies which are available in the Library or on the World Wide Web. The list is not comprehensive so you'll need to use this as a starting point and ferret out other sources as well. If you have questions, stop by the Reference or Periodicals/Special Collections Desks for assistance or call the Reference Desk at 651-2215. For additional help, contact Mary Jarvis (x2212) or Sidnye Johnson (x2209) and make an appointment.

Reference Sources

Reference books are one of the best places to start your research. Finding background information on a topic can help you prepare to search the Library's online catalog and other resources. The Reference Collection houses basic information sources like dictionaries, encyclopedias, bibliographies, chronologies, and research guides. A selection of Reference books which you may find useful are listed below. Be sure to check Cornette Library's online catalog or ask a Reference Librarian to find more.

The Integrated Curriculum: Books for Reluctant Readers, Grades 2-5
LB 1573.33 .F74 1998 Ref.
Against Borders: Promoting Books for a Multicultural World
Z 1037 .R6 1993 Ref.

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Books

Cornette Library's online catalog
Includes books, government documents, videos, journals, etc. available throughout the Library. Suggested searches include:
  • a keyword search for your subject and grade level language arts and grade 3
  • a keyword search for your subject, such as elementary language arts or middle school language arts
  • the general LC subject heading children united states books and reading or language arts (middle school)
  • the LC subject heading for a specific time and place such as reading (elementary) united states

To determine the most appropriate subject headings for your search, refer to the red Library of Congress Subject Headings near the Reference computers in the Library or search the online Library of Congress Authorities Catalog.

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Journal & Magazine Articles

Cornette Library provides access to a number of online resources for finding journal articles. Some provide the full text of articles, while others may give only the citation and in some cases an abstract or short summary of the article. Some of these resources are general in nature, covering many subject areas. Others focus on particular subject areas or disciplines. When you find articles, evaluate them to make sure you are getting valid information. If you need assistance with searching the resources listed below, ask at the Reference Desk (first floor) or the Periodicals Desk (second floor). You may also call the Reference Desk at 651-2215 during the hours Cornette Library is open or use our Ask a Librarian form for electronic reference support.

All of our online resources are available from off-campus as well as in the library. You will be asked to login: use your Buff Advisor username (for example, js123456) and your Buff Advisor password (for example, buffaloes).

While most of our online resources include the full-text of the journal articles they index, some only include citations. To find the full-text of an article when you only have the citation, browse our list of online journals and search Cornette Library's online catalog by journal title to determine if the issue you need is available in the Library's Periodicals collection. Journals are shelved alphabetically by title in the bound, microfilm, microfiche, or current periodicals areas on the Library's second floor. If the Library does not have the journal issue you need, you can request the article through Interlibrary Loan.

Education Resources

ERIC (EBSCO)
Index of journal articles, research documents, technical reports, program descriptions and evaluations, and curricular materials. Links to full text of some articles and some ERIC documents.

Subject Resources

Use this list of our databases arranged by subject if you need to identify a database in a particular subject area Subject Guides: Recommended Sources

SFX logo Logo

Most of our database will include the SFX logo logo on the options for each search result. Clicking this link will open a popup window with several options for retrieving the full-text of the document. One or more of these choices will be shown:

If you would like more information about the SFX logo feature, please see the tutorial Using SFX to Link to Articles

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Web Sites

The Web can be a useful source for finding primary sources and scholarly information as many libraries, archives, museums, and individual researchers have put digitized (scanned) images on their Web sites. You will also find secondary sources that can lead you to additional primary sources.

Education

Web Guides

Citing Your Sources

Why must I cite the sources I use for research projects?

APA Style

A copy of the 6th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association is kept at the Reference Desk. Additional assistance with citing electronic publications is available from the APA online site, which is accessible from Cornette Library's Citation Basics page.

MLA Style

A copy of the 7th edition of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers is kept at the Reference Desk. Additional assistance is available from our Citation Basics web page.

Turabian

A copy of the 6th and 7th editions of A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations by Kate L. Turabian is kept at the Reference Desk. Additional assistance is available from our Citation Basics web page.

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Your Comments

There's always room for improvement!

If you have suggestions for improvements or would like to comment on something you found especially useful about this course guide, please email Linda Chenoweth. Your comments and suggestions are appreciated.

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