Advantages and disadvantages of a computer ERIC and other databases, as compared to other search methods

ERIC (Education Resources Information Centre) is the world’s largest educational database used by researchers, educational professionals and policy makers around the world.
Due to the automated databases they are convenient and time saving. ERIC and other databases are comprehensive in nature in the sense that they allow comprehensive information gathering in all disciplines dealing with education because it contains many viewpoints which may not be contained in a single publication or one author’s perspective.

ERIC for example serves as the most comprehensive source of information containing more than 500,000 documents and journal articles from all areas of education. Ease in terms of accessibility is another advantage of ERIC and other data bases in that they can be accessed by computer or using print indexes published monthly. It provides life-long resources that can be used as access materials to term papers, bibliographies and other research assignments. Career development can also be accomplished through comprehensive information on career development.

Such information may include international education opportunities, staff development programs and innovative products and techniques. Despite the many advantages of ERIC and under databases there are shortcomings associated with their use in the sense that though researchers can access academic materials online for free, some costs is incurred through the use of databases to acquire information.

Research conducted using ERIC and other databases can be compromising, especially when the secondary sources used contain information that has been incorrectly copied from the original source. Also not all disciplines are covered by online or CD-ROM databases not forgetting the picky nature of computers when it comes to spellings whereby ones search may not match exactly what is in the database.