ERIC and the 21st Century:Education Research in the Digital

Age

Erwin Flaxman

James Lonergan

June 10, 2003Special Library Association Annual Conference

Overview

A Brief History of ERIC The Current and Proposed Missions of ERIC The Current and Proposed Structures of ERIC The Current and Proposed Functions of ERIC Implications of the Proposal Responses to the Proposal Discussion

June 10, 2003Special Library Association Annual Conference

A Brief History of ERIC

To build a comprehensive education database

To provide access to the database to all education audiences

To synthesize the education literature

June 10, 2003Special Library Association Annual Conference

The Current Mission of ERIC

The mission of ERIC is to improve American education by increasing and facilitating the use of educational research and information to improve practice in learning, teaching, educational decision making, and research, wherever and whenever these activities take place.

June 10, 2003Special Library Association Annual Conference

The Current Structure of ERIC

Distributed Structure– Decentralized, Subject Oriented Clearinghouses– Centralized Processing Facility, Document

Reproduction Service, Outreach Service– System-wide Special Projects

AskERIC NPIN

June 10, 2003Special Library Association Annual Conference

The Current Functions of ERIC

Information Collection and Processing Thesaurus Development Reference and Other User Services Knowledge Synthesis Dissemination

June 10, 2003Special Library Association Annual Conference

The Current Functions of ERIC

Information Collection and Processing– Acquisitions– Processing

RIE (Fugitive Literature) CIJE (Journal Literature)

June 10, 2003Special Library Association Annual Conference

The Current Functions of ERIC

Thesaurus Development– Vocabulary Review Group with Clearinghouse

and library community members

June 10, 2003Special Library Association Annual Conference

The Current Functions of ERIC

Reference and Other User Services– AskERIC and Clearinghouse Question-Answering– Training for Database Searching

June 10, 2003Special Library Association Annual Conference

The Current Functions of ERIC

Knowledge Synthesis– Digests– Monographs– Resource Guides

June 10, 2003Special Library Association Annual Conference

The Current Functions of ERIC

Dissemination– ERIC Database– Clearinghouse Web Sites– Direct Mail– On-Demand– Workshops and Conferences

June 10, 2003Special Library Association Annual Conference

The Proposed Mission of ERIC

The mission of the new ERIC is to provide a comprehensive, easy to use, searchable, Internet-based bibliographic and full text database of education research and information for educators, researchers, and the general public.

June 10, 2003Special Library Association Annual Conference

The Proposed Structure of ERIC

Single Generalist Contractor Small Consultant Group of Subject Experts

(acting as advisors)

June 10, 2003Special Library Association Annual Conference

The Proposed Functions of ERIC

Acquisitions and processing limited to approved journals and document sources

Thesaurus development not proposed Reference and other user services are

optional Knowledge synthesis is optional

June 10, 2003Special Library Association Annual Conference

The Proposed Functions of ERIC

Dissemination

- ERIC Database

- U.S. Department of Education/Contractor web site

- Training Workshops (optional)

June 10, 2003Special Library Association Annual Conference

Implications of Proposal

Closing of Clearinghouses, Support Components, AskERIC and NPIN– Loss of subject expertise in Clearinghouses and

host institutions

June 10, 2003Special Library Association Annual Conference

Implications of Proposal

Information Collection and Dissemination - More rigorous selection criteria – Faster updating– Full-text whenever possible– Improved content coding– Reduced coverage of journal literature from 1,100

journals to an estimated 400– Reduced coverage of documents and journals to

those produced by “approved” contributors

June 10, 2003Special Library Association Annual Conference

Implications of Proposal

Thesaurus Development - Thesaurus to be reviewed, status unclear

Reference and Other User Services– Termination of AskERIC and clearinghouse question-

answering and referral services Knowledge Synthesis

– Elimination of ERIC Digests, monographs, and other synthesis publications

Dissemination- Elimination of Clearinghouse web sites

June 10, 2003Special Library Association Annual Conference

Responses to the Proposal

Over 3,000 individuals and organizations have sent comments to the Department of Education, including:

• American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

• American Association of Community Colleges

• American Association of University Women

• American Educational Research Association

• American Library Association• Children’s Defense Fund• Council for Exceptional Children

• Council of Chief State School Officers• National Association of Elementary

School Principals• National Association of School

Psychologists• National Association of of Secondary

School Principals• National Association of Social Workers• National Black Development Institute• National Education Association• National PTA

June 10, 2003Special Library Association Annual Conference

Summary of Responses

Support for:– More rigorous selection for database additions– Faster updating– More full-text– Improved content coding

June 10, 2003Special Library Association Annual Conference

Summary of Responses

Opposition to:– Closing of 16 ERIC Clearinghouses– Termination of AskERIC and Clearinghouse question-

answering and referral services– Elimination of ERIC Digests, monographs, and other

synthesis publications– Reduced coverage of journal literature from 1,100 to an

estimated 400– Reduced coverage of documents and journals to those

produced by “approved” contributors– Elimination of Clearinghouse web sites

June 10, 2003Special Library Association Annual Conference

ERIC and the 21st Century

Discussion of the impact of proposed changes for librarians