Melissa Browne
Student Services Librarian
530-754-5962
UWP104D – Writing in Elementary & Secondary Education – Spring 2021
by Melissa Browne – March 30, 2021
Welcome!
This guide is designed to help you find scholarly sources, as well as information about specific schools, for your UWP104D writing assignments. For a comprehensive listing of search tools, visit the UC Davis Library website.
Instructions:
1. Follow the instructions to download and set up the library’s VPN, Pulse Secure, so you can search from off-campus.
☞ HELP! I’ve tried and it’s not working. Check our FAQ or submit a Technical Support Request
2. Watch the screencasts: Create a Search Strategy, Introduction to Education Source and Accessing Articles through UCD-eLinks. Answer the Quiz questions.
3. Use the search tools included in the Find School Details and Search for Scholarly Articles sections of this guide to identify sources for your bibliographies.
Find School Details
School Accountability Report Card
SARCs are reports about individual schools that are submitted annually to the California Department of Education. They include details about student enrollment and demographics; teacher credentials; textbooks; school facilities; academic achievement; and school safety and climate.
- Search Tips:
- If you don’t find a SARC for the most recent year available, 2019-2020, change the date option to 2018-2019
- If no SARC is listed, search the website for your school or school district to find a copy instead
Use the Dashboard to search for performance information about schools and school districts on standardized state measures, including student population; academic performance and engagement; and school climate. Schools and districts are rated on a five-point, color-coded scale, from lowest performance to highest performance.
Generate customized data reports for a school, district or county, covering topics such as standardized test results; student enrollment; courses and class sizes; graduation, suspension, absenteeism and dropout rates; and school staffing.
Additional Resources and FAQ
To browse additional search tools for education-related research:
APA citations:
- APA Style
- From the American Psychological Association. Includes guidance on in-text citations and creating References.
- APA Formatting and Style Guide
- From Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)
Answers to commonly asked student questions:
Q: What should I do if I don’t see an article PDF in the database I’m searching?
A. Launch 
to see if you can link out to an online copy of the article. Use the library’s Interlibrary Request service to request copies of articles that are not available online.
to see if you can link out to an online copy of the article. Use the library’s Interlibrary Request service to request copies of articles that are not available online.Q: When should I use a truncation wildcard (e.g. educat*) as part of my search strategy?
A. Use truncation wildcards to broaden your search. This is a good strategy to use when you are just starting your research, to make sure you don’t miss potentially relevant sources.
Q: How do I find peer reviewed articles from journals in the field of Education?
A: Key tools to start with are Education Source and ERIC. Make sure you limit your results to peer reviewed journals!
Get Help
If you have questions about search tools or strategies:
- Ask a Librarian (24/7 online chat service staffed by librarians from the U.S. and U.K.)
- Send Me an Email (ask a question or request a virtual appointment)