Printed reference sources remain critical to doing research. Increasingly, however, reference sources are being made available online. These lists are not comprehensive. Below are some online reference materials. Browse the shelves or ask a librarian for suggestions of additional sources.
This section has Internet resources in general and international education. Its purpose is to serve as a starting point -- a guide to selected resources -- rather than a comprehensive list.
Open access e-journals and full text archives
A network of university-based research centers providing access to the full text of their reports on education policy. Link to individual members or use a search engine to find reports on a particular topic.
A peer-reviewed bilingual electronic journal published by Arizona State University, covering education policy on "any level of the education system in any nation."
A refereed electronic journal covering administrative issues in education, directed primarily toward practicing educators.
Primary materials in the collections of Harvard Libraries. Includes historical textbooks, commonplace books, annotated books owned by significant authors, and other unique source materials.
Urban education with a focus on Chicago.
General Education Resources
Part of the American Institutes for Research, the Center collects and publishes research in the field of education.
From the Discovery Channel, resources (including lesson plans) for teaching science, social studies, language arts, and humanities to grades K-12. The programming themes cross curricular subjects and cover literature, sciences, and social studies.
See especially the Resources section, which contains many full text reports.
Research, news, and other information on the importance of early education.
Curriculum materials for pre-K through 12th grade, tied to PBS programming.
Directory of links, lesson plans, and an FAQ archive, maintained by the National Council for Open Education.
Information and links to research on education policy. Consider an RSS feed for new publications.
Brief summaries of 50 major theories of learning and instruction.
Special Education Resources
Organization committed to "improving the educational success of individuals with disabilities and/or gifts and talents." Be sure to follow links to specialized divisions, each of which has its own website.
Note especially the Projects and the Resource Links tabs, which include extensive collections of links to government and non-profit organizations.
The National Education Association's special education section provides links to research reports and articles of interest.
Resources for Using Primary Materials in the Classroom
Collections of primary materials as well as suggestions on how to use them in the classroom.
An organized approach to using many of the resources provided by the Library of Congress, including their online Digital Collections. Also includes professional development for classroom teachers, and lesson plans.
Links to information about using primary materials in the classroom as well as about professional development programs available to teachers.
Links to resources for teaching using the plentiful collections offered by the Smithsonian Institution. Contains countless types of digital collections for teachers and students to use.
Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) Inquiry Kits provide primary sources about different topics in history and sets of questions related to them to spark student engagement and learning.
Government Resources
Designed to help identify, develop, and implement public policies to improve student learning at all levels. Designed to help find out what states are doing, what research is being done, and where to go for more information.
The Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) is a digital library of education-related resources, sponsored by the Institute of Education Sciences of the U.S. Department of Education. The collection is primarily electronic bibliographic records describing journal and non-journal literature selected by ERIC from 1966-2003. The collection has expanded to include full-text articles.
Source for all federally-sponsored, education-related projects, services, and products. See especially data reports from the National Center for Educational Statistics (Education Statistics link at the bottom of the page).
Local Government Resources
Professional Development for Teachers
Public school systems maintain libraries specifically geared toward the professional development of teachers. These libraries provide useful resources that allow teachers to do research in education. If your school district isn’t listed, call and ask.
Maryland
Montgomery County Public Schools
Virginia
Arlington County Public Schools
Fairfax County Public Schools