Sources for A804 -- Monitoring and Evaluation for Improving Education Systems

• Finding Education Sector Analyses
• Finding Overviews of National Systems of Education
• Finding Overviews of a Country
• Finding Journal Articles, Papers, and Reports
• Using Google & Google Scholar
• Finding Full Text of a Specific Article
• Accessing Books and Articles not Available at Harvard
• Research Consultations
• Writing Consultations
• Ask Us

Finding education sector analyses

• Planipolis - a portal of education plans and policies from International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) Member States
• OECD, World Bank, or the country's Ministry of Education site
• Basic Education and Policy (BEPS) Activity: BEPS Publications (includes reports and some education sector analyses)
• Association for the Development of Education in Africa: Working Group on Education Sector Analysis: Education Sector Analysis Publications

Finding overviews of national systems of education

• UNESCO 2000 Education for All assessments of the current status of basic education (by country, region, and theme)
• Organización de Estados Iberoamericanos – descriptions of national systems of education, education statistics, evaluations, and more (by country; in Spanish)
• World education encyclopedia: A survey of educational systems worldwide
  (In print: Gutman Education Ref. LB15 .W87 2001)

Finding overviews of a country (demographics, economics, and political conditions)

• EIU (Economist Intelligence Unit) Country Reports - analysis and forecasts of political, economic and business environments
• World Factbook (published by the Central Intelligence Agency)
• Greenworld encyclopedia of children's issues worldwide
  (In print: Gutman Education Ref. HQ767.84 .G74 2007)
• Countries of the world and their leaders yearbook
  (In print: Gutman Education Ref. G122 .C67)

Finding journal articles, papers, reports on education policy issues

• Education Articles Search (ERIC, Education Abstracts, and Academic Search Premier) – for all areas of education
• Linguistics & Language Behavior Abstracts (LLBA) – for international literature on all areas of language and linguistics (e.g. language of instruction)
  Tip: Search (“language policy” OR “education policy”) AND [country name]
• PAIS– for international public and social policy literature in public administration, political science, economics, finance, international relations, law, and health care
  Tip: Search “educational policy” AND [country name]
• Policy File– for public policy reports and studies published by think tanks, university research programs, research organizations which include the OECD, IMF, World Bank, the Rand Corporation, and a number of federal agencies
• Human Rights Watch– an independent, NGO based in the U.S. that conducts international fact-finding investigations and publishes reports
  Tip: Scan HRW publications by region/country name, theme (e.g. children’s rights) or do a site search for keywords
• Worldwide Political Science Abstracts
  Tip: Search “educational policy” AND [country name]

Using Google & Google Scholar

Use Google (and other search engines) to search the open web for current government and research center reports, academic working papers, conference proceedings, and more. Use Google Scholar to find citations to scholarly articles, papers, and books. Be aware that Google Scholar does not find all of the scholarly research available through library resources.
Tip: Access Google Scholar through a Harvard library site to get “Find It @ Harvard” links to full text. See A Scholarly Guide to Google for more tips.

Finding Full Text of a Specific Article

Use Find It @ Harvard Citation Linker to locate online or print copies of specific articles.

Accessing Books and Articles not Available at Harvard

Current HGSE students and staff may request books and photocopies of articles not owned by Harvard.

• Book Request Form
• Article Request Form

Research Consultations

Make a one-hour appointment with a librarian to:

• develop a research strategy
• identify and learn about relevant sources
• work on any research-related question, problem, or skill

To arrange a research consultation, contact the Reference Desk (617-495-3421) or a Research and Instruction Services staff member.

Writing Consultations

Make an appointment with a writing coach to:

• define a research question
• organize the content of your paper
• review and revise drafts
• cite sources appropriately

Sign up for a writing consultation.

For additional information or assistance, contact Gutman Library Research and Instruction Services (617-495-3421 or reference@gse.harvard.edu) or stop by the Gutman Reference Desk.