Overview

What is ERIC?
ERIC - the Education Resources Information Center - is an online digital library of education research and information. ERIC is sponsored by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) of the U.S. Department of Education.

What is ERIC's mission?
The ERIC mission is to provide a comprehensive, easy-to-use, searchable, Internet-based bibliographic and full-text database of education research and information that also meets the requirements of the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002.

What's in the collection?
The ERIC collection includes annotated bibliographic records (citations, abstracts, and other pertinent data) for more than 1.2 million items indexed since 1966, including:

• journal articles
• books
• research syntheses
• conference papers
• technical reports
• policy papers, and
• other education-related materials

ERIC currently indexes more than 600 journals, the majority of which are indexed comprehensively — every article in each issue is included in ERIC. Some journals are indexed selectively — only those articles that are education-related are selected for indexing.

In addition, ERIC provides access to a growing collection of full-text journal and non-journal literature in Adobe PDF format, including reports from the What Works Clearinghouse. ERIC appreciates the individuals and publishers who have given ERIC permission to display the full-text at no charge. Most materials published 2004 and forward include links to other sources, including publishers' Web sites.

Who uses ERIC?
ERIC users include education researchers, teachers, librarians, administrators, education policymakers, instructors and students in teacher-preparation programs, parents, the media and business communities, and the general public. The user community conducts more than six million searches each month through the ERIC Web site and commercial and non-commercial sites.

How can I use ERIC?
You can use the ERIC Web site to:

• Search the ERIC database using basic or advanced search options
• Find records of relevant materials
• Manage search criteria and search results
• Link to available full-text materials - PDF in ERIC, or on publishers' Web sites

How does ERIC work?
Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) operates the ERIC Project under contract to the U.S. Department of Education. The ERIC contract supports development and management of the digital collection, Web site, and associated technologies, as well as outreach to ERIC users. IES has authorized the work of two expert advisory panels to foster ERIC's ongoing development: the ERIC Steering Committee and Content Experts.