Author: Ruth Helwig Central Michigan Univeristy

1. Educator’s Reference Complete:
How does it compare to ERIC and Education
Abstracts?
By Ruth Helwig, Systems Librarian, Central
Michigan University
Michigan Academy of Science Arts and Letters
Annual Conference 2009
Wayne State University

2. Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to compare
Educator’s Reference Complete with two
competing education databases, ERIC and
Education Abstracts, both accessed through the
OCLC Firstsearch interface. This paper will
identify overlapping titles and unique
coverage, compare and contrast the results of
selected search strategies and examine the
percentage of full text availability in the search
results. It will examine database features and
assess whether database features serve to
improve the user’s experience.

3. Hypothesis
I began this study with the hypothesis that
Educator’s Reference Complete would prove to
be a valuable resource for our patrons by:
• Leading researchers to additional peer-reviewed
scholarly research.
• Complementing our current databases.
• Comparing favorably with ERIC in its breadth
and depth of coverage.

4. Data Collection
• From vendor websites:
▫ Total number of journals covered*
▫ Journal title lists
▫ Additional content being covered
• From databases
▫ Search results

5. Challenges to Data Gathering
• The set up of information on all of the databases
are very different.
• Vendors represent title changes differently, in
some instances not identifying them as such.
• ISBN numbers not consistently included.
• Not all data elements are available from all of
the vendors. (i.e. peer-reviewed content)
• Data elements are presented differently from
vendor to vendor. (i.e. representation of full-
text.)

6. Data Gathering Decisions
• If a title appeared to be a duplicate listing (not
a title change) but this could not be definitively
established, the title was counted as a unique
title.
• If a title represented a title change it was
counted as a unique title.
• If it appeared to be a duplicate listing based on
all of the data present, the title was counted
once.

7. Coverage
Total Number of Journals Covered October
2008
Educator’s ERIC Education
Reference Abstracts
Complete
1,152 2,111 751

8. Additional Content Covered
Educator’s ERIC Education
Reference Abstracts
Complete
•Over 200 reports •ERIC documents •Book reviews
•Gale electronic • Books •“English-
handbooks and • Research language books
encyclopedias on syntheses relating to
education • WWC education
• Conference published in 1995
papers or later. . .”
•Technical reports
•Policy papers
•REL

9. Journal Title Comparison - Educator’s
Reference Complete
ERC,
ERC ERIC, ERC & ERC &
Only EdAbs ERIC EdAbs Total
488 302 334 28 1152
Percent of Educator’s Reference Complete Titles
42.4% 26.2% 29% 2.4% 100%

10. Journal Title Comparison - ERIC
ERC,
ERIC ERIC, ERIC & ERIC &
Only EdAbs ERC EdAbs Total
1198 302 334 277 2,111
Percent of ERIC Titles
57% 14% 16% 13% 100%

11. Journal Title Comparison - Education
Abstracts Titles
ERC,
Ed Abs ERIC, Ed Abs EdAbs &
Only EdAbs & ERC ERIC Total
144 302 28 277 751
Percent of Ed Abs Titles
19% 40% 4% 37% 100%

12. Unique Title Coverage
Compared to total number of journals in the
database
Educator’s ERIC Education
Reference Abstracts
Complete
Total 1152 2111 751
Unique 488 1205 145
Percent 42.4% 57% 19%

13. Journal Titles Available in All Three
Databases
Compared to total number of journals in the
database
Educator’s ERIC Education
Reference Abstracts
Complete
Total 1152 2111 751
Overlap 302 302 302
Percent 26.2% 14% 40%

14. Ongoing Coverage
Educator’s ERIC Education
Reference Abstracts
Complete
1,117 866 491
Total Number of Titles
1,152 2,111 751
97% 41% 65%

15. Other Comparators
• Full- text
• Peer- reviewed
• Common search features
• Journals indexed

16. Common Limits/Refinements
• Language
• Owned by your library
• Peer-reviewed
• Document type – varies by databases

17. Coverage and Currency
Educator's ERIC Education
Reference Abstracts
Complete
Coverage
1965 - Present 1966 - Indexing 1983 – Present
present Abstracts 1994 - Present
Update Schedule
Updated daily Updated Updated weekly
monthly

18. Database Strengths - ERIC
• Breadth of content
• Access to grey literature
• Expert Search Option
• Able to find other owning libraries
• ERIC thesaurus
• ERIC documents
• WWC
• REL
• Relationship to the Department of Education
• Reserved search operators

19. Database Strengths – Ed Abs
• Depth of coverage
▫ Every age
▫ Every article at least one column in length
▫ Series, supplements, reviews
• Expert Search Option
• Able to find other owning libraries

20. Database Strengths - ERC
• Indexes reports, book reviews, books, case
studies
• Cross-searchable with Gale education titles
• Some unique searching & limiting options:
▫ Range operators Word Count
▫ Unique fields With images
▫ Exclamation mark Lexile Reading
Level & Score
• Offers a dictionary
• Publication search

21. Subject Strengths
Educator's ERIC Education
Reference Abstracts
Complete
•Athletics and
•Technology •Vocational
education Physical Education
•Administration
•Adult learning •Early childhood •Prayer in schools
•Religious education
•Certification •Classroom
methodology •Literacy
•Practical
applications in the
classroom

22. Search Parameters
• Several searches performed – 3 reported
• All limited to journals/articles
▫ Total results higher in Educator’s
Reference Complete for broader searches
not limited to peer- reviewed
• All limited to peer-reviewed
• All limited by date range
▫ First 2 limited to 200 – 2009
▫ Third limited to 2008 – 2009 to reduce
results set

23. Search - bullying and discipline
Search #1
ERIC
Educator’s Education
Reference Abstracts
Complete
Total 9 20 8
Unique 8 18 6

24. Search - “service Learning” &
“high school” & curriculum
Search #2
Educator’s ERIC Education
Reference Abstracts
Complete
Total 25 * 25 24
Unique 8 16 16

25. Search - mathematics &
“elementary school” & “problem
solving”
Search #3
Educator’s ERIC Education
Reference Abstracts
Complete
Total 6 51 4
Unique 2 28 0

26. Conclusions
Educator’s Reference Complete contains some
unique content, unique search features and
continues to add new titles. It is updated the
most frequently, contains a high volume of full-
text and is easily accessible through MeL.
Although it is not as unique as I had originally
anticipated, it is a valuable addition to the suite
of education databases and one that I would
recommend to researches looking for education
content.

27. Contact Information
Ruth Helwig
Park Library 305
Central Michigan University
Mt. Pleasant MI 48859
989-774-2404
helwi1rm@cmich.edu