These background resources are not peer-reviewed but are encyclopedias and other reference resources you can use to learn key topics and find peer-reviewed articles.
Special Education: A Reference Book for Policy & Curriculum Development by Tip 1:
Learn background information that will help jumpstart your search. Find helpful links on this page and the Special Education guide.
Tip 2:
Look at the Special Education History and Special Education Laws and Legislation pages for tips on searching by publication date and for relevant laws.
Tip 3:
Use an education-specific database to get the most relevant information. Find a list of recommended databases in this guide or our Education A-Z Subject Database List.
Tip 4:
Use Advanced Search when available. Some databases will open to Advanced Search, while others will have a link from their Basic Search page. Advanced Search will allow you to use more than one keyword for a more specific search.
Tip 5:
Put quotes around multi-word phrases that need to be exact
“Special Education”
“No Child Left Behind”
Tip 6:
Use Operators to connect your keywords.
Use AND to narrow your search
“Special Education” AND families
Use OR to broaden your search
“Special Education” OR “Special Needs”
Tip 7:
Try alternate keywords or phrases with similar meanings:
Special education, special needs, disabilities, learning disabilities
Special education teachers, special educators
Special education students, special needs children, children with disabilities
Special education laws, special education policies
Learning environment, educational environment, classroom environment
Instructional planning, teaching methods, instructional strategies, instructional delivery
Roles, responsibilities, duties, jobs
Tip 8:
Use Forsyth Library Tutorials for more information on searching, such as this video on Advanced Search Tips:
Tip 9:
Get writing help with our online tutorials and Smarthinking to ensure you avoid plagiarism and cite using APA correctly.
Tip 10:
Need more help? Use our Ask a Librarian service to chat, email, call, or visit with a Forsyth Librarian.
Connect with Education Liaison Librarian Robyn Hartman for help on this assignment. You can call or email or book an online or in-person appointment.
