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How to Get Full-Text ERIC Documents

Full-Text Journal Articles / Full-Text ERIC Documents / Troubleshooting

Print this page and follow the steps.

The ERIC Database on EBSCOhost offers links to ERIC documents online. Some journal articles are also available full-text, linked through other databases.

After you search your topic in the ERIC database, your Result List may offer links to some full-text articles or documents. Notice these links in the Result List below: Full Text from ERIC and Linked Full Text.
Sample Page Only: Links do not work from this image.

How to Get Journal Articles (EJ Numbers)

The ERIC database does not offer full-text journal articles. However, some of the journal articles indexed in ERIC are available full-text through other EBSCO databases.

1. From your Result List (above), click Linked Full Text.
2. The screen may go directly to the linked article, or may show the ERIC citation followed by one or two article citations that are similar. Click the one that matches most closely.
3. If you are taken to a publisher’s Web site or asked for a password, you cannot get the full text without paying. Contact Ask A Librarian for help getting the article for free.
4. The article you need may be available in another database, or in the Ludcke Library print collection. Go to our Journals List and look for the Journal Title.

How to Get ERIC Documents (ED Numbers)

Many ERIC documents published from 1993 to the present are available full-text and may be downloaded at no cost. Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to read these files. To download a free copy of Acrobat Reader, go to http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readermain.html.

Step by Step Instructions:

1. These steps work best in Microsoft Internet Explorer for PC users and Netscape for Macintosh users.
2. Perform your search in the ERIC database on the Ludcke Library database page. When you find a document you like, click the title to view the abstract. Be sure to check the document's length, because longer documents may be time-consuming to download. When you're ready to download the document, click the link that says: Full-Text from ERIC.
3. The eric.ed.gov Web site will open in a separate browser window. Keep both this window and the EBSCO window open at the same time so you can move back and forth from window to window.
4. With any luck, Adobe Acrobat Reader will open automatically and your document will be downloaded before your eyes. If you don't see the document, but you know you have Acrobat Reader on your computer, go to Download folder or your desktop, find the Acrobat icon (above), and click on the .PDF file. It will have the number of the ERIC document in the file name (example: ED455902.PDF). When you click on the icon, the document should open in Acrobat Reader.
5. You now should be able to go back and forth from your ERIC result list to download other documents. Remember that you have two browser windows open on your desktop. Click one for EBSCO searching. Click the other to see the new ERIC document.

Troubleshooting
" I clicked on Full Text from ERIC but can't find the .pdf icon."

There are several possible reasons:

* The document may not actually be available online. Most ERIC documents published 1993 to the present are available electronically. Unfortunately, some ERIC documents include a link saying Full-Text from ERIC even if they are not available online.
* The item may be an education journal with an EJ number. These are not available through ERIC. They may be available in other databases, or in print in Ludcke Library. To find which, go to our online Journals List.
* Some documents are professional books and are not available from ERIC. They should be obtained from a book store or library. To see if they are available in Ludcke Library, search our FLO Catalog.
* There is a delay before the newest documents are available online, even though they have been indexed by ERIC and show up in your search results.

"I'm frustrated with how long it takes to download the documents."

1. Long documents definitely can take a while to download from home - the nature of the beast.
2. Most ERIC documents published through 2003 are available on microfiche in libraries. You may obtain them from Lesley University Library or another library near you.

Still having problems?

Call the Reference Desk at 617-349-8872 or send e-mail to Ask A Librarian.

Provide detailed explanations of the steps you have followed and the error messages you have received.