The advantages and disadvantages of a computer search of ERIC and other databases
The main advantage of ERIC database lies in its increased popularity and a multifunctional board for accessing research journals and other scientific papers. In particular, while searching for a specific document, ERIC database can provide accession number that does not only perform the function of document identification, but also informs the user about the type of the searched documents. It can also report about the presence of document in published and unpublished versions. The second advantage of ERIC database refers to the flexibility, which allows the research to combine the keywords and obtain a variety of results. Although putting different keywords together can be a challenging task for inexperienced researchers, they should still be encouraged to experiment with the searching techniques (Mertler & Charles, 2011a). ERIC database tools make it possible for them to access information in a different way. Despite the evident advantages, ERIC database has a number of disadvantages that prevent researchers from accessing information efficiently. Specifically, the main pitfall consists in excess amount of documents that ERIC can retrieve from the database, which complicates the searching process.
Why it is necessary to read the original articles rather than rely on their abstracts
On the one hand, the availability of article abstracts is helpful for getting an idea about the information placed in the original article. In fact, skimming through a great number of articles, article summaries can allow the researchers to classify the documents according to themes and types of research (Mertler & Charles, 2011b). On the other hand, full reliance on abstract information omits a range of important details and statistics that can be vital for the researchers. This is of particular concern to the analysis of discussion section, as well as evaluation of the author’s conclusion. Besides, abstracts are often presented as objective summaries providing no comments or evaluations of the author and critics on the advantages and values of the original content (Mertler & Charles, 2011b). Therefore, the researchers should still refer to the original content to create a thoughtful examination of the original material and decide whether it is relevant for the research topic. My personal experience demonstrates that looking through abstracts identifies the main scope and purpose of the research, but some of the details that can be important for my research are often concealed. Therefore, it is highly necessary to consider the original material to decide whether this source should be included into bibliography.
Why secondary sources are a good place to begin looking for information on a topic
The main function of secondary sources is to provide interpretations and evaluations of primary material by other researchers. Secondary sources should be considered prior to analyzing primary research because it can help the researchers understand how the topics and problems can be discovered a primary document. The significance of considering secondary resource is enormous, but they do not always introduce the objective information about the original documents cited in the source (Mertler & Charles, 2011a). Impossibility to assess the entire material objectively can mislead the researcher and complicate the research process. Therefore, secondary sources should be used at the initial stage of research only. While looking through various encyclopedias, textbooks, and journal articles, I often come across important definitions, which allow me to compare them with other terms and define whether they can be applicable to my own scientific exploration.
Library holdings that are usually considered to be primary sources of information
Once secondary sources have been examined, it is possible to proceed with the primary sources to figure out how original research can contribute to your own study. The primary sources include monographs, scholarly articles, conferences, and dissertations. In order to assess these resources online, it is possible to apply to a number of research centers providing the list of indices, such Educational Resources Information Center that can assist students in searching for primary sources through the list of article summaries. Reviews of articles are also available at the database. Their value consists in delivering a list of bibliographies of articles and other documents can be reviewed as primary sources. In fact, indices are valuable because they provide the primary materials in various orders. Hence, the source can be searched either by relevant topics, by authors, or by the date of article release. Search of articles by abstracts is also helpful for the researchers because they outline the basic ideas in the presented studies. Presenting reference books is also a good approach to discovering the articles that suit the research topic (Mertler & Charles, 2011b). In personal research, I also use of these strategies, but searching for the articles by reviewing their abstracts is the most frequent approach I employ because it is the most effective and the least consuming.
Why knowledge of statistical terms enables researchers to interpret reports more accurately
Qualitative knowledge plays a primary role for the researcher who has just started exploring a specific topic. However, further research will require evidence and numerical data to support hypothesis or answer the research question. Therefore, availability of statistical terms and concepts provide a deeper insight into the applicability of other data (Mertler & Charles, 2011b). For instance, while analyzing the surveys or interviews, it is possible to define the percentage of people that choose identical answers. It is also necessary to use statistic to define the mean score or introduce new figures and ratios.
References
Mertler, C., & Charles, C. (2011a). Interpreting and Summarizing Published Research. In C. Mertler & C. Charles, C. Introduction to educational research (7th ed.). San Francisco: Allyn and Bacon. 79-97.
Mertler, C., & Charles, C. (2011b). Locating Published Research. In C. Mertler & C. Charles, C. Introduction to educational research (7th ed.). San Francisco: Allyn and Bacon. 62-78.