Obtaining ERIC Documents and Journal Articles from the Hamersly Library
What is ERIC?
The Education Resource Information Center (ERIC) is a database maintained by the U.S. Department of Education that provides references and descriptions of both journal articles and documents covering the literature of education from 1966 to the present. ERIC contains two types of materials: journal articles indexed in CJIE (Current Journals Indexed in Education) and documents which include anything from classroom materials and conference proceedings to literature reviews, teaching guides or published books. Each record has an ERIC number that starts with either EJ or ED:
- EJ numbers are for journal articles (J for Journal).
- ED numbers are for documents (D for Document).
Recent documents (approximately 1993 to present) are available online through
the database. Documents that are not online are available at the Hamersly Library
in microfiche format (organized by ED number). In such cases, the Hamersly
Library will scan the microfiche and make the document available either in
electronic form or mail it to Extended Programs' students.
Accessing ERIC*
[*Off-campus use of many library systems is limited to WOU faculty and students. To ensure access, users may be validated by the Hamersly Library proxy server.]
The Hamersly Library provides several means of accessing the ERIC database. We recommend that you use both the EbscoHost ERIC interface as well as the FirstSearch ERIC interface if you desire comprehensive results.
The EbscoHost version of ERIC provides access to a number of journals in full-text that are available in Ebsco. Look for the "Linked full-text" link in your results screen. The database also provides access to ERIC Documents published after 1993. Look for the link, "Full text from EDRS." Some of these documents can be quite large and may take a few minutes to load.
The FirstSearch ERIC
interface provides no full-text journal article access. It does access for
those ERIC Documents published after 1993; look for the link, " E*Subscribe & EDRS
order options. Moreover, the FirstSearch interface also includes a link 
to
an Interlibrary Loan request form for all desired articles. Make sure to set
your status to "Western Oregon Distance Education Student" when ordering. (Failure
to complete this step may result in denial of your request!).
Need Assistance?
For general assistance in using any of the journal databases, you may contact the Hamersly Library Reference Desk at 503.838.8899. If you experiencing difficulty in requesting materials, or need to track an order or return, please contact Janeanne Rockwell-Kincanon at 503.838.9493 or email: kincanj@wou.edu .
