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A word (or two) on "bias"
Bias and partisanship are not things to be avoided -- rather, it is the researcher's responsibility to acknowledge bias when it exists. Detecting bias is a critical skill. Here are some resources:
Handout on detecting bias in news reporting
Evaluating sources (from Colorado State University)
Some important publications and their biases (links lead to database for searching the publication):
The Wall Street Journal (editorials: conservative) [abstracts available on Lexis-Nexis; full-text on microfilm]
The New York Times (commentary: conservative and liberal) [available on Lexis-Nexis]
The Nation (political: liberal/progressive)
The New Republic (political: neo-liberal)
Mother Jones (political: progressive)
National Review (political: conservative)
American Spectator (political: conservative)
Reason (political: libertarian)
Nature (scientific community)
Science (scientific community)
Christian Century (mainline Protestant)
Christianity Today (conservative Protestant)
Commentary (Jewish and politically conservative)
JAMA (medical community - U.S.)
Lancet (medical community - Great Britain)
(from Columbus State University)
To find material from the radical and fringe press, search the Alternative Press Index.
To find political blogs, go to Salon's Blog Report
Think Tanks
Using books
Reference books for this topic:
The Comparative Guide to American Elementary & Secondary Schools REF LB 2817.3
Digest of Education Statistics REF LB 2846 .D48 2005
Encyclopedia of American Education REF LB 17 .U54 2007
Encyclopedia of Education REF LB 15 .E47 2003
Subject headings to consider:
Education and state
Higher education and state
Education -- Political aspects
Education -- Economic aspects
Search for books in I-Share, the library's catalog. You may order books from other libraries by clicking "request" but please allow 4-5 days for such books to arrive.
Searching for Articles in Newspapers and Journals
ERIC (Education database)
Lexis/Nexis database - good for newspaper articles
JSTOR
Academic
Search Premier
Web Feat (searches
across a range of databases)
Once you have a citation to an article, check the journal list to see if the College owns the journal the article appeared in. If not, fill out an Interlibrary Loan Form to request the article. Please allow 14 days to receive an article.
For additional databases and articles, go to the Library's list of Databases. For passwords, call the reference desk at x5074.
Relevant Websites and Online Sources
Google Uncle Sam - searches U.S. government sites only
GPO Access
National Education Association (NEA)
Education Next (from the Hoover Institution)
Librarians Index to the Internet (LII)
Statistics:
FedStats
United Nations Statistical Division
National Center for Education Statistics
Human Development Report
Economic Policy Institute (EPI)
Roper Center for Public Opinion Research - search for opinion poll results
U.S. Census (from Credo Reference)