Brainstorming
As with any research project, the first step is generally to select your topic. Reference materials (encyclopedias, dictionaries, bibliographies, etc. . .) can be a great way to get started. These resources offer overviews of thousands of topics and will help you launch into your search for the scholarly resources that you will need to use to support your research. On this page you will find some selections to get you started.
When brainstorming, it can also be helpful to browse popular, non-scholarly resources in order to understand the status of general discourse on your topic and explore diverse viewpoints while developing thesis statement that can be supported with scholarly resources.
Getting Started
- Read your assignment carefully!
- Take note of important elements such as the due date, the format, the length, the type of materials you are expected to use, and any other specific requirements.
- Break down the assignment into elements such as the following:
- Who or what are you researching?
- Are you arguing a specific point of view or analyzing a specific topic?
- What do you know about the topic already?
- Start with brainstorming and background research:
- Explore the assigned topic using broad, informational resources such as encyclopedias and reference databases that will help you understand the context of the topic.
- While you are exploring the topic, look for common terms, themes, and ideas.
- Use the outline of the assignment and your background research to brainstorm topics and thesis statements.
- Support your topic/thesis statement with high-quality resources that meet the requirements of your assignment:
- Scholarly materials (also known as peer-reviewed materials) are often required for academic research projects. This is because these resources must be written by experts in the fields, published in reputable journals, reviewed by other experts, and must be based on quality work.
- The Lyman Beecher Brooks Library has a curated collection of resources that provide you access to excellent, scholarly content. Visit the Library Catalog or the A-Z Database List to get started and consult a Research Guide or Ask a Librarian if you have any questions!
- Scholarly materials (also known as peer-reviewed materials) are often required for academic research projects. This is because these resources must be written by experts in the fields, published in reputable journals, reviewed by other experts, and must be based on quality work.
For more information on planning your research, visit the Writing Center, where professional and accomplished writing consultants will guide you through your writing project.
Oxford Reference Premium
- Oxford Reference PremiumThis reference database includes access to almost 400 dictionaries and encyclopedias of fully-indexed, cross-searchable works published by Oxford University Press with detailed information across a broad subject range of topics.
Running a basic search in Oxford Reference Premium is similar to searching in Google. You can use general keywords and phrases in your search and Britannica Academic will return results that include some or all of your keywords.
On the search results page, Oxford Reference Premium offers a series of post-search filtering options on the left side of the page under the heading "Narrow Your Choices":
By default, Oxford Reference Premium shows all content in the results, which includes articles that are not available in full-text. Item availability is indicated to the right of the result with a green open lock 
, the word Free in a green oval 
, or a red closed lock 
.
To limit the results list to items that are available in full-text, check the "Unlocked" and "Free" boxes under the heading "By Availability" in the left side menu and click submit:
Oxford Reference Premium has a help page with additional tips for searching and making the most of the database. To access the help page, click "Help" at the bottom of any page in the database:
Encyclopedias & Dictionaries
A Dictionary of Education by Call Number: eBookISBN: 9780199679393Publication Date: 2015-02-02Education is of relevance to everyone but it involves a specialized vocabulary and terminology which may be opaque or unfamiliar to those new to the field. This UK-focused Dictionary of Education provides clear and concise definitions for over 1,100 terms, from A* to zero tolerance, that anyone studying education or working in the field is likely to encounter. Coverage includes all sectors of education: pre-school, primary, secondary, further and higher education, special needs, adult and continuing education, and work-based learning. It also includes major legislation, key figures and organizations, and national curriculum and assessment terminology.
Encyclopedia of African American Education by Call Number: eBookISBN: 9781412940504Publication Date: 2010Provides a comprehensive overview of educational institutions at every level, from preschool through graduate and professional training, with special attention to historically and predominantly Black colleges and universities.
Encyclopedia of Christian Education by Call Number: eBookISBN: 9780810884939Publication Date: 2015-01-01In The Encyclopedia of Christian Education, contributors explore the many facets of Christian education in terms of its impact on curriculum, literacy, teacher training, outcomes, and professional standards.
Encyclopedia of Early Childhood Education by Call Number: eBookISBN: 9781136700859Publication Date: 2012-05-23This Encyclopedia is a reference work about young children in the USA, designed for use by policy makers, community planners, parents of young children, teacher and early childhood educators, programme and school administrators, among others. The field of early childhood education has been affected by changes taking place in the nation's economy, demographics, schools, communities and families that influence political and professional decisions. These diverse historical, political economic, socio-cultural, intellectual and educational influences on early childhood education have hindered the development of a clear definition of the field. The Encyclopedia provides an opportunity to define the field against the background of these influences and relates the field of early childhood education to its diverse contexts and to the cultural and technological resources currently affecting it.
Encyclopedia of Educational Innovation by Call Number: eBookISBN: 9789811322624Publication Date: 2020Provides a comprehensive overview of trends in innovation in education. Guides readers through the disciplinary debates on innovation in education. Argues for a transformed pedagogy and educational model for a post-industrial age
Encyclopedia of Educational Philosophy and Theory by Call Number: eBookISBN: 9789812875891Publication Date: 2017This resource it is based on theoretical orientations and approaches to the main concepts and theories in education, drawing on the range of disciplines in the social sciences. The encyclopedia privileges the "theory of practice", recognizing that education as a discipline and activity is mainly a set of professional practices that inherently involves questions of power and expertise for the transmission, socialization and critical debate of competing norms and values.
The Encyclopedia of Middle Grades Education (2nd Ed.) by Call Number: eBookISBN: 9781681235714Publication Date: 2017he Encyclopedia is a comprehensive overview of the field; it contains alphabetically organized entries that address important concepts, ideas, terms, people, organizations, publications, and research studies specifically related to middle grades education.
Encyclopedia of Special Education, Volume 2 by Call Number: LC4007 .E53 2014 v.2 (library use only)ISBN: 9780470949399Publication Date: 2014-01-28The only comprehensive reference devoted to special education , it addresses issues of importance ranging from theory to practice and is a critical reference for researchers as well as those working in the special education field.
Handbook of Research on Social Justice and Equity in Education by Call Number: eBookISBN: 9781799895688Publication Date: 2022-05-06There is growing pressure on teachers and other educators to understand and adopt the best ways to work with the various races, cultures, and languages that diverse learners represent in the ever-increasing culturally-diverse learning environments. Establishing sound cross-cultural pedagogy is also critical given that racial, cultural, and linguistic integration has the potential to increase academic success for all learners. To that end, there is also a need for educators to prepare graduates who will better meet the needs of culturally diverse learners as well as support their students to become successful global citizens. The Handbook of Research on Social Justice and Equity in Education highlights cross-cultural perspectives, challenges, and opportunities pertaining to promoting cultural competence, equity, and social justice in education. It also explores multiple concepts of building a bridge from a monocultural pedagogical framework to cross-cultural knowledge. Covering topics such as diversity education and global citizenship, this major reference work is ideal for academicians, researchers, practitioners, policymakers, instructors, and students.
Handbook on Promoting Social Justice in Education by Call Number: eBookISBN: 9783030146245Publication Date: 2020The Handbook on Promoting Social Justice in Education explores social justice elements across the global human continuum in the field of education and offers the skills and ways of thinking to achieve a more equitable, caring and fair world. Education is not the sole or even the primary answer to social justice as this would assume educators have control over the complexity of one's nation/states and multi or transnational organizations, and especially the diversity by context of family life. What education does offer are the skills and ways of thinking to achieve a more equitable, caring, and fair world in pursuit of achieving the ends of social justice. The handbook will look at three major themes--Political Inequality, Educational Economic Inequality, and Cultural Inequality. Editorial Board Khalid Arar Kadir Beycioglu Fenwick English Aletha M. Harven John M. Heffron David John Matheson Marta Sánchez
International Encyclopedia of Education by Call Number: eBookISBN: 9780080448947Publication Date: 2010The International Encyclopedia of Education, Third Edition encompasses over 1,000 articles across 24 individual areas of coverage. Education is a multidisciplinary and international field drawing on a wide range of social sciences and humanities disciplines, and this edition comprehensively matches this diversity.
The Sage encyclopedia of classroom management by Call Number: eBookISBN: 9781483346236Publication Date: 2015A teacher's ability to manage the classroom strongly influences the quality of teaching and learning that can be accomplished. Among the most pressing concerns for inexperienced teachers is classroom management, a concern of equal importance to the general public in light of behavior problems and breakdowns in discipline that grab newspaper headlines. But classroom management is not just about problems and what to do when things go wrong and chaos erupts. It's about how to run a classroom so as to elicit the best from even the most courteous group of students. An array of skills is needed to produce such a learning environment. The SAGE Encyclopedia of Classroom Management raises issues and introduces evidence-based, real-world strategies for creating and maintaining well-managed classrooms where learning thrives. Students studying to become teachers will need to develop their own classroom management strategies consistent with their own philosophies of teaching and learning. It is hoped that this work will help open their eyes to the range of issues and the array of skills they might integrate into their unique teaching styles.
