On 1 October, the Penn Library will switch access to the ERIC database from the OVID Technologies interface to that offered by EBSCO.

The EBSCO interface to ERIC offers the usual search features, and more:

• Unlimited simultaneous users.
• Access to the ERIC Thesaurus.
• Basic and Advanced Searching.
• Direct links to full-text articles in the Professional Development Collection.
• Saved searches and an alert feature.
• Simultaneous multiple-database searching (PDC and ERIC).
• EndNote, Procite, and Reference Manager filter support.
• PennText article linking, including links to ERIC Documents in the EDRS online collection.

In addition, the Library will begin subscribing to the Professional Development Collection (PDC), an important index in education also offered by EBSCO. Professional Development Collection provides a highly specialized collection of resources for professional educators, education researchers, and professional librarians. The PDC provides full-text to over 500 journals, over 300 of which are peer-reviewed. This database also provides full text of a small number of education pamphlets and will soon contain full text for scholarly monographs. To see the full range of journals covered in the PDC, please see the PDC Database coverage list.

While an interface change can be disruptive to research routines, EBSCO offers a friendly product and we expect the transition to cause few problems.

For more information:
Patty Lynn, Education Bibliographer