A Library User's Guide to ERIC.

A concise explanation is provided of the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) and its major components: Resources in Education (RIE) and Current Index to Journals in Education (CIJE). ERIC's publications are explained, and instructions are given for conducting a topic search through the ERIC system, from locating the correct terms in the Thesaurus of ERIC Descriptors and from the use of identifiers, to obtaining the appropriate microfiche and educational journals. ERIC search by author or institutional source is also explained. Suggestions are given for citing ERIC documents in footnotes and bibliographies, and for obtaining a computerized ERIC search. An annotated bibliography of ERIC publications and print and nonprint user aids is appended, as is a directory of the ERIC Clearinghouses. (SL)