Welcome to the Education LibGuide
Library Search will help you discover books, journals, articles, audio visual material and more on your chosen topic. This is a good place to start when you are beginning to research a topic as you can draw on content from a variety of different sources.
For more in depth research in databases and archives, use the A-Z Databases List.
Library Search is a good starting point for finding material on topic. 
However, if you want to research the global literature on a topic, and go beyond quick full text results, then you should follow up with a database search.
Research databases index the global literature and provide references to journal articles, books, conference proceedings, reports etc that match your search criteria. They help you to find information about previous publications in your research field.
You can tailor your search more precisely using all the sophisticated functionality available on the research databases. You can also target particular types of resources such as news sources, official publications, statistics etc.
The following databases will help you discover material related to education. You have access to further resources via the Education subject list area in the A-Z Databases list.
These databases all use the EBSCO platform. This tutorial shows how to do an advanced search.
The following are major multidisciplinary databases which will enable you to explore the published literature in education and related subject fields.
JSTOR provides full text access to scholarly book, journal and primary sources via an easy to use search interface.
Use the How to Search JSTOR LibGuide for an introduction to the service or take a look at JSTOR's Vimeo channel for educational and instructional videos.
JSTOR holds content relevant to Education as well as complementary disciplines cross the social sciences.
The following video shows you how to use ebooks on the JSTOR service.
Use the Databases A-Z List to access all the resources available to you.
You can browse by subject e.g. Education or type (e.g.maps, news, images etc.) or search to find your required resource.
Allied subjects include Sociology, Psychology, and Politics. You will also find LibGuides available for these and other subject disciplines.
TED is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas. You can explore TED Talks related to the topic of Education or popular talks from the TED homepage.
You can use the following catalogues to search for material held at other libraries:
The European Library - gives access to the collections of the 48 National Libraries of Europe and leading European Research Libraries.
You are likely to use a wide range of different types of information sources for your education research. Use the online support highlighted here to guide your searching
Our book collection includes both print and ebook formats. Increasingly, books are made available in ebook format. This gives the best access to materials, allowing 24/7 access to books from any location. Where ebooks are not available, multiple print copies of key titles are purchased.
Use the Library Search to search by topic to discover relevant content.
Research Methods for Education by
Written in a clear and friendly manner, Research Methods for Education, 2/e takes the student by the hand and guides them through the complex subject of research methods in an engaging, witty and clear way. It follows a mixed methods approach, which doesn't simply prioritise quantitative or qualitative methods, allowing for greatest possible coverage. It also contains excellent international examples and case studies specifically from education, which breaks way from a parochial focus on UK education system.
Systematic reviews in educational research: methodology, perspectives and application by Finding books on the shelves
The Forum Library print books are arranged in Dewey Decimal Classification order. This means that books on similar topics are grouped together. Find out more with our Classmarks guide. The majority of books on education related subjects will be found at number 370 in the library, for example:
| 370 | General education subjects |
| 370.1 | Education theory, philosophy, psychology |
| 371 | Schools, special education |
| 372 | Early years and primary education |
| 373 | Secondary education |
| 374 | Adult education |
| 375 | Curricula |
| 378 | Higher Education |
| 379 | Public policy issues in education |
However, education is a wide ranging discipline and you are likely to wish to consult materials from other areas such as Sociology and Psychology Library Search will help you locate these materials
The vast majority of our journal articles are available in digital format, although we do keep older print journals in the Forum Library.
Our journal databases may offer full text access or abstracts only, or sometimes a mixture of both.
Many of our databases fully index their content, by organising them under various subjects. This helps ensure that all potentially relevant articles are captured when searches are carried out.
Use Library Search to find Journal Titles and articles that relate to your research/study area.
For targeted searching, select a research database and explore the published literature in your field. Key databases are flagged above.
Reference resources such as almanacs, dictionaries, encyclopedias and thesauri enable you to:
They can be really useful resources as you begin your background research into a topic, before you move on to more in depth research via your Subject databases.
In many cases, these resources are now available in digital format, allowing you to easily and quickly access the information you need.
Find out more on the Online Reference Resources LibGuide.
Find out more on the News LibGuide
Official publications can be broadly defined as the documents and materials produced by the government and governmental departments during the course of government business.
Content ranges from statements of law and policy to government reports and statistics. These publications can be a valuable primary research source and are especially useful to those researching in law, politics and history. However, they are of relevance across all subjects as they address all aspects of governmental work such as science, education, law, agriculture, transport, health etc.
To find out more about finding and using official publications, take a look at the Official Publications LibGuide.
View the list of Official Publications databases in the Database A-Z List
It is important to plan your search strategy, and manage your search results so that you get the most from your online searching.
Keep a record of all the material you need to cite in your assignments, papers, projects etc.
Use the Search Techniques and Referencing guidance to assist you.
As you search you need to keep track of all the material you will be using in your academic work so that you can cite and reference it appropriately.
Always check your module handbook for specific departmental guidance on the style required for your assessed works and dissertations. Check with your personal tutor or dissertation supervisor if you need clarification.
For more guidance take a look at:
Find out more about the skills support available to help you develop a range of study skills including essay writing, referencing, critical reading and getting the most out of lectures.
Sage Research Methods Online (SRMO) is a great resource to use when you are planning and conducting your research.
It is targeted at social science researchers but is useful across all subject areas as it covers key research methodology topics that are applicable across the research spectrum.
Sage have produced a comprehensive LibGuide to help you get the best from the resource.
Linking the University of Exeter Library to Google Scholar
Google Scholar is an online, freely accessible search engine for locating scholarly literature from academic publishers, professional societies, online repositories, universities and other web sites. But not all full text content is free to access.
However, it is possible to link the University of Exeter online library to Google Scholar, making it quick to identify and access library full text content.
Just follow these instructions:
Click on Check for this @ Exeter or Access this @ Exeter options to view full text article:
Find out more here: Making the most of Google Scholar
University of Exeter LibGuide is licensed under CC BY 4.0
