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Evidence baseEducational research is undertaken by thousands of people working in a many differing organisations. The outcome of their activity is not collected together in any one place. From the point of view of someone wishing to make use of research it can be a formidable task simply finding it.To help with the task, this web area provides information about some of the main places where research outcomes are brought together. Databases are organised schemes where information is brought together about current or completed research. Major research centres are physical or virtual centres or programmes where a considerable quantity of research, usually in a defined topic area, is reported (link to research centres document). Searching for evidence can be a difficult task, particularly if the material you are looking for cannot be located through a known database or in a major research centre. This page offers initial suggestions about how to go about searching. Major centres and programmes sometimes list titles and summaries of their current activities on the web. They may also list publications and reports they have produced. DfES Research Centres were set up in the late 1990s to concentrate some of DFES research funding in a number of key areas. Each has a programme of research, a range of publications and a website. This link leads to a list of the main centres and provides links to relevant pages for each. Academic centres undertaking research relevant to education exist within and across many universities. This link leads to a list of them. The Hero website provides a list of these. Independent centres relevant to research on education include think-tanks, charitable and commercial organisations. Policylibrary.com provides a list of some of these. Research Articles British Education Index (BEI) BEI is a comprehensive index to the contents of 300 British and some European English language education and training journals. Coverage ranges from early years to adult education and includes education management literature. The database contains article references but not the full text. The index is available as a subscription print journal and over the internet. It is maintained within Leeds University Library. Education-line Education-line is a collection of 'grey literature' meaning that the research may not yet have undergone a quality control process e.g. peer review. It is a freely accessible database of the full text of conference papers, working papers and electronic literature which supports educational research, policy and practice. British Library The British Library site offers a range of document search facilities including Inside. This is a subscription service that makes available articles from over 1,000 journals (including education and related disciplines) which are updated daily. Full journal articles can be purchased and downloaded over the internet. Ingenta Ingenta select is a subscription service which provides access to full text articles from over 5,400 electronically available professional research publications. The service also provides comprehensive abstracts of full articles. Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) This is a US government funded database and covers some UK research. It is free to access on-line and contains more than one million abstracts of education-related documents and articles. It does not provide full text articles but does include a growing number of research digests. Current Research Finding out about what research has been commissioned or details about research in progress should be a key part in the research process for both sponsors and researchers. In particular, it helps avoid potential duplication as well as identifying possible gaps in knowledge - which new research might address. Current Educational Research in the UK (CERUK) CERUK is designed to be a comprehensive database of all current research in the UK. It provides information on a range of studies and makes available short reports or bulletins about current hot topics in research. Research Reviews The purpose of literature reviews is to provide an overview of significant literature and evidence published on a topic. Literature reviews can be undertaken to varying degrees of depth and involve identifying academic research, books, conference papers etc in a given field, then summarising and critiquing each work. Systematic reviews provide a very thorough approach and are thought to provide best evidence about what works and how in response to a particular review question - and form a key tool in decision making for policy and practice. eppi.ioe.ac.uk">EPPI Centre systematic reviews The electronic on-line library database from the EPPI Centre makes available systematic reviews about what works and how in education. The EPPI Centre is based at the Institute of Education, University of London and has been set up to develop systematic reviewing methodology in education as well as providing training and support for researchers who want to undertake systematic reviews. Campbell Collaboration The Campbell Collaboration is developing systematic reviews in education and has review centres in the US and Nordic countries. Research Utilisation Research Unit RURU is part of the Centre for Public Policy & Management (CPPM) and funded by the ESRC. It is a member of the ESRC's Network for Evidence-Based Policy. The overall aim of RURU is to facilitate the production and use of practical knowledge that will assist in enhancing the role of evidence in public policy and public services Summaries of research The Research Informed Practice Site (TRIPS) The TRIPS site targets practitioners (including teachers, support assistants, governors and parents). It provides short accessible digests of the key findings from recently published research from the learned journals. Each year approximately 20 new digests are completed The site has additional features such as 'my briefcase' that enables registered users to store their favourite digests and send them to a friend. Research of the Month (RoM) The RoM web site turns large scale research reports inside out to answer practitioners' questions - rather than telling the 'story' of the project. It illustrates key findings through hot links to summaries of practitioner case studies, thus linking academic research to practitioner enquiry. The site targets teachers with an interest in research and/or in their practice. TOPIC Produced by the national Foundation of Educational Research TOPIC takes the form of an online magazine containing articles about research written expressly for a teacher audience. It is a subscription based journal. National Teacher Research Panel Research summaries from the Teacher Research Conference 2004 are now available online on the National Teacher Research Panel's website. The summaries, all based on teachers' research work in their classrooms and schools, describe their evidence-informed approach to classroom and school improvement under a range of themes from Assessment and Leadership to Home School Relationships and Thinking Skills. For further information, contact teacher-research.panel@dfes.gsi.gov.uk. Subject-specific Databases As well as databases which cover general or all research - a number of databases exist which provide information about research in specialist fields including psychology, sociology and education management. PsycINFO PsycINFO is a database of abstracts of psychological literature from the 1800s-present covering 1,900 titles. It is a subscription services but offers a free demonstration to see if it is helpful to you. Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) HESA provides a range of statistical information including a free on-line statistical service on data about students, staff, further destination issues and finance. Department for Education and Skills: Statistics The Department for Education and Skills produces a wide range of statistics covering education, training and life-long learning, many of which form part of National Statistics. Statistical reports are available on-line and are free of charge. Emerald Emerald publishes a very wide range of management and library & information services journals. Its electronic databases (some require subscription) allow instant access to the latest research and global thinking. We provide the information, ideas and the opportunity to gain insight into your key management topics. High reliablity schools High reliability schools provides key documents and research papers on aspects of school reform, including school effectiveness. National Library Resource for Guidance NLRG is a comprehensive and regulary updated database of research on career guidance. International Research Evidence The European Centre for the Development Vocational Training (CEDEFOP) has a range of databases covering research on European training and development. See also http://www.refernet.org.uk/ The British Association for International and Comparative Education (BAICE) website provides information on teaching, research, policy and development in all aspects of international and comparative education. |
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