Using Research on Early Childhood Development and Education
Other Web Resources
It is easy to find
"research" about almost any topic on the Internet; the challenge is finding
sources that are respected and credible. Consider using the sites below. Although
they do not guarantee the quality of what is provided, they do use specific
criteria. In addition, consumers should keep in mind the guidelines referred to
earlier on this page.
- Child Care and Early
Education Research Connections
provides researchers, policymakers, policy influencers, and practitioners
with one-stop access to a continually updated, comprehensive, and
searchable collection of original research and related resources. Research Connections'
goal is to promote high quality research and the use of that research in
policymaking.
- The Child and Family Web
Guide
is a directory that evaluates, describes and provides links to hundreds of
sites containing child development research and practical advice. Includes
links to "Research News" sites.
- The Promising Practices
Network is operated
by the Rand Corporation with information provided by other network members. The
site features summaries of programs and practices that are proven to improve
outcomes for children. Information has been screened for scientific rigor,
relevance, and clarity.
- National Child Care
Information Center (NCCIC) is a national
clearinghouse and technical assistance center that links parents,
providers, policy-makers, researchers, and the public to early care and
education information. The site's search function provides access to a
wide range of research.
- SRCD, the Society for
Research in Child Development is a professional
association that promotes multidisciplinary research in the field of human
development, fosters the exchange of information among scientists and
other professionals of various disciplines, and encourages applications of
research findings. Its journal Child Development includes many studies of
early development and learning.
SRCD's
Social Policy Reports are a series
of discussions of topics such as early intervention, obesity, and kindergarten.
Reports may be downloaded free of charge.
- Google Scholar is a powerful search engine that links to
peer-reviewed articles, theses, books, abstracts, and other scholarly
literature from all areas of research. The site may also be searched by
name of author, title of journals, etc. Because the amount of information
can be overwhelming, the key is to use search terms that are as precise as
possible (for example, not just "literacy" but "literacy, preschool
curriculum, Spanish, evaluation"). A "Help" function provides tips. And
the same standards listed earlier on this Web page should be applied to
evaluate the quality of the research, and to separate research from
opinion.
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