A new comparison of the current index to journals in education and the education index: A deep analysis of indexing

Journal of Academic Librarianship

Volumn 25, Issue 3, 1999, Pages 216-222

  Brown, Suzanne M ^a   Edwards, Jana S ^a   LaSee Willemssen, Jeneen ^b  

^a UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA   (United States)

^b Kansas State University Libraries   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 0033130551     PISSN: 00991333     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/s0099-1333(99)80201-8     Document Type: Article

References (41)

1. CIJE indexes journals at levels of coverage ranging from "selective" and "education-related," to "comprehensive," depending upon the journal's perceived importance and relevance to the field of education. Further explanation is available in the "Source journal index" sections of Current Index to Journals in Education: Semiannual Cumulation, January-June 1994, viii-xxx and the July-December 1994 issue, viii-xxx (Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press, 1995).
2. Jeneen LaSee-Willemssen, "'ERIC' vs. 'Education Index': A Comparison" (Manhattan: Kansas State University, June 1996), http://www.lib.ksu.edu/~jeneenw/ericshow1996/index.html.
3. CIJE rarely includes book or product reviews, while Education Index has a more expansive policy of coverage. Book reviews must be substantial, and be "pertinent to some aspect of education or be a textbook," (Barbara Chen, "FW: Questions Regarding the 'Education Index'," e-mail to M. Suzanne Brown (suzbrow@mail.uflib.ufl.edu) (April 2, 1998). Education Index also indexes product reviews, abandoning length restrictions for the videotapes, films, software, and CD-ROMs.
4. M. Suzanne Brown, Jana Edwards, & Jeneen LaSee-Willemssen, "Report of a research study in progress: To find or not to find - Access to the literature in 'CIJE' and the 'education index'." Poster session presented at the 116th American Library Association Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA., June 1997.
5. Saul Herner, Janet D. Griffith, & Mary Herner, Study of Periodicals and Serials in Education: Final Report (Washington, D.C.: U. S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Office of Education, Bureau of Research, 1968), (ERIC microfiche, ED 017 747).
6. As quoted by Delmer J. Trester in: ERIC - The First Fifteen Years, 1964-1979: A History of the Educational Resources Center (Bethesda, MD: ERIC Processing and Reference Facility, 1981), p. 75.
7. Alan Schorr, "'Education index' and 'current index to journals in education': Do we really need both?," Journal of Academic Librarianship 2 (July 1976): 135-136.
8. Andrea J. Sward, "'CIJE': Searching for the answer to two questions: Do you need supplementary 'education index' searches? Can you save money by skipping full format output?," Database 2 (December 1979): 22-27.
9. Lawrence J. Perk, "Secondary publications in education: A study of duplication," College & Research Libraries 38 (May 1977): 221-226.
10. Manuel Lopez, "'current index to journals in education' - Feet of clay?," Urban Education 25 (July 1990): 138-142.
11. Ted Brandhorst, "Commentary: Letter to the editor," Urban Education 21 (July 1992): 212-213.
12. Charles C. Julian, "A Comparative Study of Subject Approaches in 'C.I.J.E.' and 'Education Index' with Reference to Three Areas in Education," (Master's thesis, University of Sheffield, 1978) (ERIC microfiche, ED 188 581).
13. The assumption was made that within each index's editorial definition of comprehensiveness, coverage would be consistently thorough.
14. According to ERIC's guidelines for selectivity, journals that are indexed at a selective level are either "major journals that are not totally concerned with education" or "education journals that are second tier in quality." In the former case, CIJE indexes "all the education-related articles comprehensivelyand ignores the other articles. With the less-than-prestigious journals in the selectively indexed category, the indexers are instructed to ignore articles that are 'too repetitive, too insubstantial, or too transient' and include only those articles that make real contributions. (Ted Brandhorst, letter from author, March 8, 1996.)
15. The researchers selected a random sample of 50 journal issues spanning one year each. The universe from which the sample was drawn consisted of 1,580 entries (316 journals x 5 years), representing each of the 316 journals from 1990 through 1994. For purposes of further illustration, the final sample included the 1993 issues of the Journal of Staff Development, the 1990 issues of the American Journal of Education, the 1992 issues of the Journal of School Psychology, etc.
16. The journals selected for coverage by CIJE and Education Index fluctuate from year to year, due to additions of new journal titles, cessations, etc.
17. Definitions of article types: • Research articles report quantitative and/or qualitative research. • Practical articles include how-to type guides, activity guides, lesson plans, step-by-step instructions, and "How-I-did-it" pieces. • Bibliographic articles list journals, books, or other information pieces, and contain no discussion, analysis, or comments regarding quality. • Literature Reviews gather and analyze articles on a topic. • General Interest articles are lengthy professional opinion or viewpoint articles, applications of educational theory, general overviews of educational research, and non-fiction narratives.
18. It is assumed that print or electronic versions of either index provide the same access to articles across formats when indexing is completed.
19. Barbara Chen, "Cover-to-cover Indexing," e-mail to M. Suzanne Brown (suzbrow@mail.uflib.ufl.edu). (September 9, 1998).
20. Brandhorst, Ted. "What are the possibilities for coordinating education information databases?" Knowledge in Society 3 (Summer 1990): 45-57.
21. Brandhorst, Ted et al. ERIC Processing Manual, Section II: Acquisitions (Washington, D.C.: Educational Resources Information Center, 1992), pp. 36-37 (ERIC microfiche ED 348 055).
22. Brandhorst, Ted et al. ERIC Processing Manual, Section III: Selection (Washington, D.C.: Educational Resources Information Center, 1992), pp. 32-35 (ERIC microfiche ED 348 055).
23. Brandhorst, Ted et al. ERIC Processing Manual, Section V: Cataloging (Washington, D.C.: Educational Resources Information Center, 1992), pp. 89-99 (ERIC microfiche ED 348 055).
24. Brandhorst, Ted et al. ERIC Processing Manual, Section VI: Abstract/annotating (Washington, D.C.: Educational Resources Information Center, 1992), pp. 27-29 (ERIC microfiche ED 348 055).
25. Brandhorst, Ted. The Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) (Rockville, MD: ERIC Processing and Reference Facility, 1994) (ERIC microfiche ED 354 884).
26. Brown, Bettina Lankard. Your Guide to ERIC Microform (Columbus, OH: ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult, Career, and Vocational Education, Center on Education and Training for Employment, the Ohio State University, 1994 (ERIC microfiche ED359 989).
27. Burchinal, Lee. Eric-development Through June, 1968 (Washington, D.C.: Office of Education (DHEW), Bureau of Research, 1968) (ERIC microfiche ED 020 450).
28. Burchinal, Lee. "ERIC: The national education retrieval system of the United States." Educational Documentation and Information 178 (Spring 1971): 9-15.
29. The ERIC Clearinghouse on Assessment and Evaluation, 1995 Annual Report. (Washington, D.C.: Office of Educational Research and Improvement, 1995) (ERIC microfiche ED 403 282).
30. Heinmiller, Joseph L. Cost and Usage Study of the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) System: A Descriptive Summary. (Washington, D.C.: National Institute of Education, 1981) (ERIC microfiche ED 208 903).
31. Journals Currently Covered by Current Index to Journals in Education (CIJE), ERIC Ready Reference No. 17B (Rockville, MD: U. S. Department of Education, 1995).
32. Klein, Susan S. "How can the federal government help education clearinghouses provide more cost-effective services?" Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco, CA, March 1989 (ERIC microfiche ED 310 785).
33. Loeding, Deborah. "Wilsonline." Behavioral and Social Sciences Librarian 5 (Winter 1985-86): 49-66.
34. McDonald, Dennis D. et al. Cost and Usage Study of the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) System. Final Report (Rockville, MD: King Research, Inc., 1981) (ERIC microfiche ED 208 902).
35. National Institute of Education. Administrative Procedures and Guidelines for ERIC Clearinghouse Management (Washington, D.C.: National Institute of Education, 1983) (ERIC microfiche ED 280 510).
36. Rothman, Robert. "16 Institutions with ERIC-center contracts," Education Week 23 (June 1993): 32.
37. Stonehill, Robert M. Myths and realities about ERIC, ERIC Digest, June 1992. (Syracuse, NY: ERIC Clearinghouse on Information Resources, 1992) (ERIC microfiche ED 345 756).
38. Tauber, Robert T. "The credibility of ERIC's resources in education." Journal of Teacher Education 36 (May/June 1985): 50-51.
39. Tenopir, Carol. "A day in the life of a database producer." Database (June 1992), Lexis/Nexis. Library: News, File: ASAPII.
40. U. S. Department of Education. ERIC Network Directory (Washington, D.C.: Department of Education, 1996), p. 1.
41. Watt, Michael G. "Information services in an age of education reform: A review of developments in four countries." School Library Media Quarterly 23 (Winter 1995): 115-122.