InfoGuides: Higher Education: Find Research Tools

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Research databases & Journals

American Educational Research Journal
Publishes original peer-reviewed analyses spanning the field of education research across all subfields and disciplines and all levels of analysis, all levels of education throughout the life span and all forms of learning.
from 01/01/1964 to present
Education & Urban Society
Communicates new ideas on educational processes, controversies, research, and policy. It places special emphasis on the relationship between educators and society.
from 11/01/1968 to present
Educational Action Research
Concerned with exploring the dialogue between research and practice in educational settings.
from 03/01/1997 to present
Educational Researcher
Publishes scholarly articles that are of general significance to the education research community and that come from a wide range of areas of education research and related disciplines. Published nine times a year, ER aims to make major programmatic research and new findings of broad importance widely accessible.
from 01/01/1972 to present
Evaluation Review
Focuses on rigorous evaluation of public programs and policies across a range of types of evaluation, policy areas, and academic disciplines, all to foster evidence based policy.
from 02/01/1980 to present
Higher Education in Review
An independent, refereed journal published by graduate students of the Higher Education Program at the Pennsylvania State University.
from 01/01/2010 to present
Journal of Research on Leadership Education
Provides an international venue for scholarship and discourse on the teaching and learning of leadership across the many disciplines that inform the field of educational leadership.
from 04/01/2006 to present
Sociology of Education
A forum for studies in the sociology of education and human social development.
from 01/01/2004 to present

Cambridge Core
Provides access to Cambridge University Press journals and ebooks across all academic disciplines. Tutorial for the Cambridge Core database.
Chronicle of Higher Education - Web Edition
Source of news and information on Higher Education. Includes exclusive multimedia features, such as videos and podcasts, on current topics in higher education. Additionally, the current annual Almanac of Higher Education is accessible for demographic information in higher education. Other features include interactive tools for career development, and job searching.
Education Database
Coverage spans the literature on primary, secondary and higher education as well as special education, home schooling and adult education.
Education Research Complete
- This link opens in a new window
Education Research Complete covers all aspects of education including multilingual education, health education, testing, curriculum instruction, administration, policy, funding, and all levels of education from early childhood to higher education.
ERIC
References to thousands of educational topics. Indexes journal articles, books, theses, curricula, conference papers, standards, guidelines and more. ERIC documents (non-journal literature) are available full-text, 1993 to the present. View a tutorial on this database here.
JSTOR
Collection of core scholarly journals in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences digitized in most cases back to the first date of issue. Includes selected books, primary sources and other materials for academic work.
View a tutorial on this database here.
LearnTechLib
Contains over thirty years worth of peer-reviewed and published international journal articles and conference papers on the latest research, developments, and applications related to all aspects of Educational Technology and E-Learning.
View a tutorial on this database here.
Social Sciences Citation Index
A multidisciplinary database indexing more than 3,000 journals across 55 social science disciplines, as well as selected items from 3,500 of the world's leading scientific and technical journals.
Survey Research Center
Provides interdisciplinary social and behavioral science research involving the collection and analysis of data, especially data from scientific sample surveys.
Web of Science: Core Collection
Contains citations and searchable author abstracts, covering scholarly literature in journals, books and conference proceedings. Includes: Science Citation Index Expanded, Social Sciences Citation Index, Arts and Humanities Citation Index, Book Citation Index, Conference Proceedings Citation Index, Current Chemical Reactions, Index Chemicus, and Emerging Sources Citation Index. Additional resources available by selecting from the dropdown list next to the Core Collection heading. Tutorial for the Web of Science: Core Collection database.

Active Learning Strategies in Higher Education: Teaching for Leadership, Innovation, and Creativity
This book explores best practices for effective active learning in higher education. This book will be a very significant resource for educators who are interested in making a difference in students' lives.
Proquest e-Book
Assessment for Social Justice: Perspectives and Practices Within Higher Education
Assessment for social justice is explored in two complementary ways the justice of assessment within higher education, and assessments that promote greater social justice and in doing so this book contributes to ongoing debates about the nature and purposes of higher education.
Proquest e-Book
A Dangerous Place to Be: Identity, Conflict & Trauma in Higher Education
Examines identity-based conflict in colleges and universities, analyzing the actions of students, teachers, administrators, and educational organizations as efforts to manage dilemmas and disturbances arising in the process of identity formation.
LB3610 .B69 2018
Fenwick Stacks
Diversity and Inclusion in Higher Education and Societal Contexts: International and Interdisciplinary Approaches
This volume puts theory in conversation with practice, articulates problems, and suggests deep-structured strategies from multiple perspectives including performed art, education, dis/ability studies, institutional as well as government policy, health humanities, history, jurisprudence, psychology, race and ethnicity studies, and semiotic theory.
EBSCO e-Book
Paradoxes of the Democratization of Higher Education
Research in Social Problems and Public Policy (RSPPP) is a peer-reviewed series devoted to the sharpening and reshaping of scientific discourse involving the intersection of social problems and public policy. This volume focuses on the democratization of higher education.
EBSCO e-Book
The Postdoc Landscape: The Invisible Scholars
This comprehensive reference serves as a guide for scholars, individuals who supervise and mentor postdoctoral scholars and policymakers. Outlines practical tools to help universities and organizations develop an infrastructure for supporting postdocs Identifies the challenges that postdocs face and offers strategies on how to address the challenges Includes a diverse range of voices and experiences from leading experts in the field
Proquest e-Book

Ebook Central

Access multi-disciplinary scholarly content from hundreds of publishers. Discover, evaluate, and access titles; and utilize tools for note-taking, highlighting, and instant citing. Read online and check individual entries for offline reading options including DRM-free chapter downloads and full book downloads.
Notes: Merges EBL Ebook Library and ebrary Academic Complete. Mason login required.
Ebsco eBook Collection

Ebsco eBook Collection includes 2,900 electronic books, or eBooks related to education. Subjects covered include: educational technology, educational change, psychology of learning, teaching and learning, multicultural education, educational philosophy, curriculum planning, and more.
PsycBOOKS

Over 4,300 APA books, handbooks, classic books, and entries from the Encyclopedia of Psychology.
SAGE Research Methods and Cases Online

Includes over 1,600 e-books on various aspects of education research methods (quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods sciences. Also includes a searchable collection of over 200 case studies of real education social research, commissioned and designed to help users understand abstract methodological concepts in practice.
ScienceDirect

Provides online access to 63 education-related e-books published by Elsevier and its partners.
Springer eBook Collections

Provides access to more than 1,000 titles for education including: learning & instruction, linguistics, child & school psychology, linguistics, and higher education. The e-books are searchable down to the chapter level.

Find Statistics & Data

Digital Scholarship Center (DiSC) is a new group within University Libraries to support the research and instruction needs of Mason’s data researchers. DiSC provides help with locating and utilizing numeric, statistical, geospatial, and qualitative data. In addition, they provide access to Federal and Virginia Depository publications as well as the map collection. Services include:

Assisting with finding, using and acquiring numerical, statistical and geospatial data.
Helping with using data archives such as ICPSR, the Roper Center, and more.
Offering access to a variety of GIS and statistical software packages, and assisting with data translation.
Providing workshops and course-related library instruction on finding and using numeric data sets and on GIS related topics.
Assisting with creating data management plans required by grant applications, such as NSF, as well as providing support with data archiving.
They are available for consulting in-person, by phone, and e-mail and are available for class instruction. For more details visithttps ://dsc.gmu.edu.

SAGE Research Methods and Cases Online
Provides an overview of research methods (quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods) across the social and behavioral sciences. Includes SAGE book and reference material on research methods, and editorially selected material from SAGE journals. Also includes a searchable collection of case studies of real social research, commissioned and designed to help users understand abstract methodological concepts in practice.
View a tutorial on this database here.

Time Series Analysis in the Social Sciences
The book focuses on fundamental elements of time series analysis that social scientists need to understand so they can employ time series analysis for their research and practice.
ProQuest e-Book
Adaptive Survey Design
The book focuses on fundamental elements of time series analysis that social scientists need to understand so they can employ time series analysis for their research and practice.
ProQuest e-Book

The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System
Primary source for information on U.S. colleges, universities, and technical and vocational institutions.
Postsecondary Surveys & Programs
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) survey programs which measure various aspects of postsecondary education in the United States.

College Blue Book
Guide to thousands of 2- and 4-year schools in the U.S. and Canada. Covers the expected listings and detailed descriptions, degree programs offered, scholarships, and occupational education programs.
Current Index to Statistics
Bibliographic index to publications in statistics, probability, and related fields. Limited pre-1975 indexed content.
Data Planet
Provides access to statistical data produced by U.S. Federal agencies, States, private organizations, and major intergovernmental organizations. Charts, maps, views, rankings, time series and tables are available for use in the Data-Planet repository. Data-Offers capabilities to compare & contrast multiple data series, perform statistical calculations on the data, and customize output views.
View a tutorial on this database here.
Digest of Education Statistics
Compilation of statistical information covering the broad field of American education from prekindergarten through graduate school. Includes a selection of data from many sources, both government and private, and draws especially on the results of surveys and activities carried out by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).
SAGE Research Methods and Cases Online
Provides an overview of research methods (quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods) across the social and behavioral sciences. Includes SAGE book and reference material on research methods, and editorially selected material from SAGE journals. Also includes a searchable collection of case studies of real social research, commissioned and designed to help users understand abstract methodological concepts in practice.
View a tutorial on this database here.

Testing & Evaluation in Higher Education

This section of the Higher Education Advanced Topic Portal contains information on

Test & Measurement Databases
Journals which focus on testing and evaluation.
Professional Organizations

American Journal of Evaluation
Explores decisions and challenges related to conceptualizing, designing and conducting evaluations.
from 03/01/1998 to present
Applied Measurement in Education
Helps to bridge the gap between theory and practice, articles in this journal describe original research studies, innovative strategies for solving educational measurement problems, and integrative reviews of current approaches to contemporary measurement issues.
from 01/01/1997 to present
Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education
Publishes papers and reports on all aspects of assessment and evaluation within higher education.
from 03/01/1997 to present
Educational Assessment
Publishes original research on the design, analysis and use of assessment to deepen understanding of the performance and quality of individuals, groups, and programs in educational settings.
from 01/01/1997 to present
Educational Assessment, Evaluation & Accountability
Advances knowledge and dissemination of research on and about assessment, evaluation and accountability of all kinds and on various levels as well as in all fields of education.
from 2009 to present
Studies in Educational Evaluation
Publishes original reports of evaluation studies
from 1975 to present

Health and Psychosocial Instruments
This resource is no longer available. For an alternative resource see PsycTests.
Mental Measurements Yearbook with Tests in Print
Descriptive information and critical reviews of commercially-available standardized English-language educational, personality, aptitude, neuropsychological, achievement and intelligence tests. Tutorial for the Mental Measurements Yearbook database.
Social Sciences Citation Index
Indexes more than 3,000 journals across 55 social science disciplines, as well as selected items from 3,500 of the world's leading scientific and technical journals. Covers from 1900 to the present. Part of Web of Science.
Tutorial for the Social Science Citation Index Expanded database. ">here.
TestLink (ETS)
Contains descriptions of over 20,000 tests and other measurement devices dating from the early 1900s to the present. Searchable by title, author (personal or corporate), acronym, subject, year or call number. Note: Some tests are located in the Tests in Microfiche collection located in Periodicals/Microforms on the 1st floor of Fenwick Library.
Peterson's Test Prep (formerly Testing and Education Reference Center - TERC)
Information on undergraduate and graduate programs of study, along with test prep guides. Offers online practice tests for college and graduate admissions exams such as GRE; GMAT; LSAT; MCAT and MAT; TOEFL; PRAXIS; civil service and military entrance exams, and licensing tests for nursing, real estate, and other fields. Also includes information on distance education programs and financial aid/scholarships. note: Users are required to create an account in order to access some features of this database, such as taking online practice tests.

Assessment and Evaluation in Student Affairs
Pulls together information from current research and publications, our knowledge communities, and NASPA events to strengthen your knowledge base of assessment and evaluation, providing opportunities for involvement, education, and professional development in this critical competency for student affairs professionals.
Assessment in Higher Education
Explore links to ASHA and outside sources designed to assist administration and faculty in establishing and assessing program goals, institutional goals, and student learning outcomes to improve the quality of education. This resource was designed with both individuals new to assessment in higher education and those with years of experience in mind.
Association for the Assessment of Learning in Higher Education
An organization of practitioners interested in using effective assessment practice to document and improve student learning.

Higher Education

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Testing & Evaluation in Higher Education