When beginning your research, a good first step is to gather background information. Or, perhaps you have a few topics in mind and want to read a little bit about each one before making a choice. The sources below include overview information and layout basic information about a topic: a chronicle of its history; current status; theory or philosophy; key people; and most importantly, a bibliography of key sources.
Reference sources include encyclopedias and dictionaries. These resources provide definitions and a overview/outline of the topic, or subject, and generally include bibliographies of further readings.
General
The Greenwood dictionary of education
Main Ref LB15 .G68 2003.
Dictionary of Encyclopedia (2015)
E-book
Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education
Ebook
Encyclopedia of the Sciences of Learning
Ebook
Theory, Philosophy and Methods
Learning theories, A to Z
Ebook
Over 500 theories defined and categorized, such as cognitivism, constructivism, behaviorism, or humanism.
Philosophy of education : an encyclopedia
Main Ref LB17 .P485 1996
History and Statistics
The Condition of Education
Online nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/
Govt Ref ED 1.109: More statistics in chart and graph form. 1975-
Digest of education statistics
Online nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/
Historical dictionary of school segregation and desegregation : the American experience
Main Ref LC212.52 .R34 1998
Handbooks are an excellent tool to begin scholarly research. Most handbooks are edited by scholars and provide article length background information about a topic and a bibliography of key authors and resources for further study. Below are representative sample of handbooks. To find others, In Compass trying search for:
handbook* research education
handbook* education
handbook* teach*
Handbook of Research on Teaching online
The Cambridge Handbook of Instructional Feedback online
The Handbook of Early Language Education online
The Praeger Handbook of Latino Education in the U.S.
Main Ref LC2669 .P73 2007
The Wiley Handbook of Action Research in Education online
