Choosing a topic

When choosing a topic for your research paper, think about the following:

• Unless your instructor assigns a topic, try to select a topic that interests you.
• Make sure your topic is not too broad, or too narrow. You will find too much information when searching for a broad topic; and not enough information when searching for a narrow topic.
• If you already have a general topic, try searching the library's catalog or the library's databases for ideas on how to narrow that topic down.
• Visit the library's Reference Desk and request to view the following book: 10,000 ideas for term papers, projects, reports and speeches: Intriguing, original research topics for every student's need.
• For current events and issues in the news, try searching the library's database: CQ Researcher.
• For debatable or controversial issues, ask one of the librarians about the Opposing Viewpoints Series, the Taking Sides Series, Issues in Focus Series and/or the Current Controversies Series.
• Visit the Social Issues Research Guide. There you will find a list of current social issues to choose from.

Book Collections

Books will provide an excellent starting point for your research in the field of Early Childhood Education. Reference books often give you background information and a general overview on your topic so that you can proceed with greater understanding to a more detailed treatment of your subject in other books and periodicals. Reference books may include specialized dictionaries, encyclopedias, handbooks, almanacs, atlases and/or statistical reports. The librarian at the Reference Desk can help in locating an appropriate source. Listed below are the titles and call numbers of some of the Early Childhood Education books in the library's reference collection. The reference collection is located on the main level of the library. Books with a location of Reference cannot be checked out of the library. The Circulating Collection is on the second floor of the library. Books with a location of Circulating may be checked out.

Library Catalog

The library catalog is used to locate books both at RVCC, as well as from other libraries in the Somerset County Library System. Books will provide in-depth information not found in reference sources.

Quick Tips:

• Start with a Keyword search. Once you find one or two books about your topic, check the book's record to see what Subjects are being used. Once you find the appropriate Subject Heading, repeat your search using those headings. Generally, the results from a Subject search will always be more accurate than the results from a Keyword search.
• If you know the title of the book you are looking for, do a Title search.
• If you are looking for a book with a specific author, do an Author search (last name first).

Suggested Subject Headings for Early Childhood Education:

Click a subject heading below to use it as the search term for a Subject Search in the catalog.

Consult with the reference librarian to find the term best suited to your needs.

Browse the Collection:

Most of the books can be found in the following areas:

• B -- Philosophy. (General)
• L -- Education (General)
• LA -- History of Education
• LB -- Theory and practice of education
• LC -- Special aspects of education

All of the library's circulating books are located on the upper level of the library.

For additional library catalogs, including libraries in Hunterdon and Middlesex counties, consult the Additional Library Catalogs page. If you find a book in one of these catalogs that the library does not own, request the book using the library's Interlibrary Loan Service.

Research Databases - Finding Articles

The Evelyn S. Field Library has access to thousands of periodicals. (Periodicals can be magazines, scholarly journals, or newspapers.) Some periodicals are in the library's print (or hard copy) collection. However, the majority of periodicals are available in the Research Databases. These databases provide access to articles. This information is generally more current than material found in books.

Search for periodical articles on Early Childhood Education using the databases listed below. They can be accessed from the Library Database Page. (If you are using these databases from an off-campus location, you will be asked to identify yourself by logging in with your Username and Password. This is the same login you use on campus. The Research Databases are available only to registered RVCC students.)

• ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center)
  

  ERIC is a nationwide information network sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education designed to provide ready access to education literature. The ERIC database is the world's largest index to journal articles and documents in education, containing over 1,000,000 citations. Approximately one-half of the entries in the ERIC database (or 430,000 citations) relate to education documents. Identified by unique ED numbers, ERIC documents include a wide variety of resources such as teaching guides, research reports, bibliographies, issue papers, instructional materials, and test and evaluation instruments. ERIC also contains citations and abstracts from over 980 educational and education-related journals and full text of more than 2,200 Eric Digests.

• JSTOR
  

  A reliable and comprehensive archive of important scholarly journal literature. JSTOR is important if you are doing a research project that needs older information in the arts and sciences. Due to its very nature as a retrospective journal archive, JSTOR does not contain current journal articles. The JSTOR database is unique because the complete back files of core scholarly journals have been digitized, starting with the very first issues, many of which date from the 1800's. Over 4 million pages are available.

After finding an article on your research topic, the database will either provide a citation and summary of the article, or it will provide the full-text (the complete article). If you are only given a citation and summary of the article, you can check the Periodical Locator to determine if the periodical you are looking for is available in another database. (The Periodical Locator is an alphabetical list of all the journals the library has access to. Feel free to talk with a librarian for assistance.) If the article is not available in any of the library's research databases, request the article using the library's Interlibrary Loan Service.

If, for your assignment, you are required to have sources from scholarly journals, use the Identifying Scholarly Articles guide to help you determine if your source is a magazine article or a scholarly article.

Internet Resources

• About.Com: Elementary School Educators
  http://k6educators.about.com/
  Articles for elementary educators on classroom management, lesson planning, professional development, assessment and testing, substitute teaching, and becoming a teacher. Also features an educator's buyers' guide.
• AOL@School
  http://www.aolatschool.com/message
  Directory of online education resources for K-12 teachers and students, including reference materials, classroom tools, lesson plans, technology tips, and current education news.
• Developing Educational Standards
  http://edstandards.org/Standards.html
  Browse this annotated directory of K-12 educational standards by source, by state, or by subject.
• Early Connections: Technology In Early Childhood Education
  http://www.netc.org/earlyconnections/
  "Learn what technology can and can't do in the education of young children. Early Connections provides research-based information and resources for those who work with children ages eight and younger."
• Earlychildhood.com
  http://www.earlychildhood.com/
  A site for early childhood educators that offers "a dynamic opportunity to discuss issues with your colleagues, find an interesting article, share an idea, or simply have a great time using the resources here at Earlychildhood.com." Resources include articles, sharing boards, arts and crafts, and links to related sites.
• Educational CyberPlayGround
  http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Schools/default.aspx
  Directory of web sites for K-12 schools and school districts, organized by state, grade level, and school type.
• Everything Preschool
  http://www.everythingpreschool.com/
  View lesson plans, recipes, and songs for preschoolers.
• Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators
  http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/
  Part of Discovery.com, this website provides a categorized list of sites "useful for enhancing curriculum and professional growth" within the teaching field. The list is organized by subject, is searchable, and also provides links to related articles and picks of the day.
• Lifestage: Preschool Resources
  http://www.educationindex.com/preschool/
  A service of the Education Index, this site is an alphabetical listing to a collection of sites relevant to preschool and early childhood education.
• Preschool Education.com
  http://www.preschooleducation.com/
  This site lists resources for preschool teachers and parents, such as classroom activities and curriculum ideas. Printable pages for use in the classroom are available.
• Resources for Teachers
  http://www.pbs.org/teachers/
  This IPL pathfinder is intended for teachers and other educators interested in locating resources on the Web. This information was gathered with the intent of meeting the professional needs of K-12 teachers. Both print and Internet sources are provided.
• Teachers@Work
  http://teachers.work.co.nz/
  Reviews and ratings of "over 1,500 of the best Internet sites for educators." The excellent reviews are written with educators in mind, and sites are rated based on content, presentation, and age level. Browse by school subject, or use the search feature.
• Technology and Young Children
  http://www.techandyoungchildren.org/index.html
  A terrific resource for parents and educators for exploring the positive and negative impact of technology in children's lives and for learning the "do's" and "don'ts" of using technology with children, offering everything from Best Educational Practices to Internet help with tutorials, good search engines, and web design tips.

Additional Help

• Call or visit the Reference Desk to speak to one of the librarians. The Reference Desk is located on the main floor of the library. The phone number is 908-526-1200 x8350.
• Email your question to one of the librarians using the Ask-A-Librarian Service.
• For further information about this guide, please contact Robert Egan

Last Updated - 08 April 2009