Research Guides: EDUC 1220: Society, the School, and the Teacher: Finding Education Research

Picking a Topic

To browse possible topics or get inspired by current events, check out these databases:

CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window
Coverage of the most important issues of the day, written by experienced journalists, footnoted and professionally fact-checked. Articles include an overview, historical background, chronology, pro/con feature, and resources for additional research.
Coverage: 1991 to present.
Opposing Viewpoints in Context (OV or OVIC) This link opens in a new window
Pro and con articles on important social, political, and economic issues. Reference articles that provide context, magazines, newspapers, primary source documents, government and organizational statistics, and links.
User Limit: 7.

The New York Times
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Follow the steps below to start or renew your subscription to the New York Times:

Navigate to www.accessnyt.com
Search for and select "Vanderbilt University". You will be redirected to the NYT registration page.
If you have previously registered your @vanderbilt.edu email address on the NYT site, you will click the "Already have an account? Log in here" link.
Verify your account (you will receive a confirmation email). You must click the link in this email to complete the registration. Please note that the confirmation email may be routed to your spam folder.

Once registered, users will have 364 days of full account access at www.nytimes.com. If you still have questions, please contact newsdesk@list.vanderbilt.edu.

Education Databases

There are several databases that provide access to the scholarly content (peer-reviewed articles, etc.) that you will need for your assignment. Each page provides you with a link to one of the databases and tutorial videos for how to use it. If you have questions, you can always email me or book an appointment! Here are some of the key databases for education research:

Education Full Text This link opens in a new window
Articles, periodicals, yearbooks, series, and supplements on special education, educational tests, adult education, multicultural/ethnic education, teaching methods, continuing education, literacy standards, multicultural/ethnic education, etc.
Coverage: 1929 to present. Full text begins 1996. User Limit: 4.
ERIC (ProQuest version) This link opens in a new window
Journal articles, conferences, meetings, government documents, theses, dissertations, reports, audiovisual media, bibliographies, directories, books and monographs on education-related literature.
Coverage: 1966 to present.
ProQuest This link opens in a new window
Search all ProQuest databases simultaneously. Includes arts, humanities, social sciences, news, and science and technology.

Developing Your Research Topic Worksheets

Research Topic Worksheet
Use this template to help you brainstorm and refine your research topic.
Research Journey Worksheet
Research is a process. This worksheet takes you step-by-step through the process of defining your research questions to strategically searching for resources using library databases.

K-12 Education Topics

Here are some of the current research topics in K-12 education:

pandemic response
online learning
school choice
school safety
classroom size
bullying
technology
school funding
student health
student attitudes & behaviors
parent involvement