Library Guides: Educational Research: Databases

Which database should you use?

Explore a selection of the available databases according to function

Core Education Databases
Multidisciplinary search tools
Search tools for specific information needs (streamed video; comparative ed. data; research methods and research design)
Tools for locating Educational theses
Annotated bibliographies
Cited reference searching databases

Options for finding more databases

Are you looking for a database which focuses on a specific area of teaching e.g. Humanities Education? Explore the full list of library guides for education our learning area guides contain subject focussed database lists.
Find more titles by searching or browsing the A-Z ejournals and databases list

Core Education Databases (try these first)

The Education Library team has developed a core list of databases for locating journal articles and other sources for educational topics.

Education Database (ProQuest)
This easy-to-navigate education database covers primary-, secondary-, and higher education. It also covers special- and adult education. It includes more than 1000 top educational publications (800 in full text). About 75% of the publications covered are scholarly journals.
Education Source (EBSCO)
Education Source (replaces Education Research Complete) with improved coverage. Subject areas include early childhood to higher education, multilingual education, health education, testing, curriculum instruction, education policy, funding and social issues relating to education are covered. includes 2,095 active indexed and abstracted journals. 1,857 of them are peer-reviewed. This includes 56 active full-text journals from the Australia & New Zealand. This product also includes more than 4,100 full-text education-related conference papers and a collection of more than 390 videos from SimpleK12 to provide practical online teacher training that addresses the evolving landscape of education.
ERIC (EBSCO)
ERIC (Education Resources Information Center) is sponsored by the Institute of Education Sciences (US department of education). Included is education research literature from journal articles, conference papers, reports, theses, book chapters and class programs (lesson plans and models).
A+ Education (Informit)
A strong Australian education research focus including educational policy, administration, curriculum, educational psychology. Sources include published and unpublished material, theses, book chapters, conference papers, journal articles. Indexing started from 1989 and full-text coverage started in 2000.
AEI-ATSIS - Australian Education Index – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Subset (Informit)
Australian Education Index includes materials in all levels of education. Journal articles, books, research reports, theses, conference papers, legislation, and web page information are provided. This is the subset of information relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.

Multidisciplinary Search Tools

These databases and platforms are useful if your topic is interdisciplinary (e.g. program evaluation, applied positive psychology, arts education, etc.).

Academic Search Complete (EBSCO)
Academic Search Complete is a large multi-disciplinary database with full text for more than 7300 peer-reviewed scholarly journals. Subjects includes adult education, arts education, child & adolescent psychology, child development, cognitive sciences, education policy, educational administration, educational psychology, educational technology, music education and much more.
ProQuest Central
ProQuest Central includes 47 complete databases in the Social Sciences, Arts & Humanities, Science & Technology, Interdisciplinary and other fields. This resource features a highly-respected, diverse mix of content including scholarly journals, trade publications, magazines, books, newspapers, reports and videos.
CINAHL Complete (EBSCO)
CINAHL is an authoritative resource for nursing and allied health professionals, students, educators and researchers. It has broad content coverage including 50 nursing specialties, speech and language pathology, nutrition, general health and medicine. This database provides indexing for thousands of journals with selected titles available in full text. Coverage commences with 1937.
Google Scholar
Google Scholar is a popular way to search for literature across a very broad range of publisher and subject content. You need to set up your Google Scholar preferences to search effectively and to allow unpaid University of Melbourne access.
Scopus (Elsevier)
This is a core global multidisciplinary database that indexes high quality peer-reviewed journals, conference proceedings and book series. All disciplines are covered (science, medicine, social sciences and arts & humanities). Citation indexes help with locating cited references e.g. for a journal article or book chapter.
Web of Science
An important interdisciplinary resource with 12,000 leading journals in science and social sciences (incl. Education research). Journal articles, conference proceedings and book series are included.

Tools for specific information needs

Streamed videos and media

These databases have a specialist focus or provide access to a particular format of information, such as streamed media.

Education in Video (Alexander Street Press)
Education in Video is the first online collection of streaming video developed specifically for training and developing teachers. The video titles with hours of teaching demonstrations, lectures, documentaries, and primary-source footage of students and teachers in actual classrooms.
EduTV
This database provides access to broadcast programs from free-to-air and pay TV channels in Australia. Download is permitted for educational, research and personal use.
Kanopy (Kanopy)
Streamed video Kanopy provides streamed educational video at optimal quality to University of Melbourne staff and students.
Videatives
The Videatives platform supports principles of child development and early childhood education. It provides short observational videos of children and accompanying text to create an integrated viewing experience (video + narrative = videative). The purpose of the platform is to make children's thinking visible and to capture what children know and how teachers can build from children's knowledge, to allow the mapping of theory to practice and the generation of theory from practice. You can find relevant videos by exploring: age categories (infants to 7 years); subjects headings; descriptive tags; and a search box.
Early Childhood observation videos

Comparative education data

OECD iLibrary
The online library of the OECD provides a gateway to its periodicals, books, working papers, policy papers, statistical databases and tables. The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) dataset forms a prominent part of this database.

Research resources

Including resources for research design, methods, proposals, project management.

SAGE Research Methods
This database offers research methods support to students learning to conduct research and to faculty while conducting research for publication. It offers more than 1000 books, reference works, journal articles and videos to guide researchers. The Methods Map can help you find the best technique for your research.
SAGE Knowledge
SAGE Knowledge offers a range of SAGE eBook and eReference content, including scholarly monographs, reference works, handbooks, series, professional development titles, and more.

Locating Educational theses

Use these databases to locate theses relevant to your topic.

Australian Education Research Theses
The Education Research Theses database contains details of over 15,500 theses accepted at Australian universities and colleges in the field of education from 1919 to date. Nearly 2,500 of these are available online. It also includes some overseas theses on Australian education topics. The database is maintained by the Cunningham Library, Australian Council for Educational Research.
ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global
Over two million entries for doctoral and master's theses from around the world. Strong full-text content; multidisciplinary coverage.

Useful list of further theses indexes from ACER
Recommended list

Creating annotated bibliographies

Annotated bibliographies are an excellent starting point to find a variety of key resources in your subject area. For example, journals, journal articles, databases and essential texts. To search for annotated bibliographies.

Library catalogue:

Perform a keyword search (e.g. your topic and annotated bibliography)
E.g Annotated bibliography and Australian history

Databases:

Select an Education database (e.g. ERIC, A+ Education)
Perform a keyword search (e.g. your topic and annotated bibliography)
E.g. Annotated bibliography and educational research

Cited reference searching

Citation tracking allows you to examine research trails and determine the number of times an article has been cited in other papers. It can also reveal connections between authors and other patterns of publication.

Scopus (Elsevier)
Scopus is a multidisciplinary database indexing peer-reviewed research literature, trade publications and book series. Coverage includes science, medicine, the social sciences, arts and humanities. Specialist features include cited reference searching.
Web of Science
Web of Science is another important interdisciplinary resource with 12,000 leading journals in the sciences and social sciences. Included sources are journal articles, conference papers, books and book chapters.
Google Scholar
Google Scholar provides a simple way to search for scholarly literature across many disciplines and access peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, abstracts and articles. Google Scholar offers cited reference searching.