ABOUT THE BIBLIOGRAPHY

Scholarly research in the field of Curriculum Inquiry is published in diverse and sometimes difficult-to-locate sources within the broader literature of research in Education. Access to research studies in Curriculum Inquiry has been hampered by the lack of suitable comprehensive indexes and bibliographies and by electronic search capability of limited applicability to this specific domain of research literature.

The present bibliography began as a listing of curriculum studies considered to be of the highest research quality and of enduring significance at the time of publication. The selection of studies to be included in the bibliography began in the early 1960s, when this field of research took on an identity of its own and began greatly to expand, and has continued until the present. As time went by, it seemed appropriate to add a few citations from earlier periods to honor work built upon by later scholars. Even though, in retrospect, certain citations may seem not to have deserved inclusion, no entries have been dropped after they were first listed.

This entire effort was partly personal and practical; the bibliography became useful in introducing graduate students to the research in Curriculum Inquiry and in making it more accessible to novices. A computer search scheme was created as the bibliography increased in size and complexity. Gradually, another purpose emerged as it became apparent how useful such a searchable bibliography of research literature in the field could be for all who might wish to have access to its primary works. This broader purpose, more in tune with facilitating the whole field of curriculum scholarship, became the basis for deciding to present the bibliography on-line and giving open access to it to all who might be interested. This venture entailed revising the original search categories and descriptors to sharpen the search capability. The result is now available on this website in a form that can be searched from anywhere on the web and can be accessed at any time.