PSRC Frequently Asked Questions
What material will I find on the PSRC?
The PSRC contains information about and links to a wide range of materials in the physical sciences for teachers at all levels. This includes curriculum, lesson plans, activities, laboratories, lecture materials, reference material, and education research.
How do I find materials on the PSRC?
You can search the PSRC by keyword, author, or organization. The "Advanced Search" allows searches to be filtered by subject, grade level, cost, and item type. Alternatively, you can browse through items by their topic (Browse Topics), type of material (Browse Resource Types), or grade level (Teacher Communities).
What is the difference between searching and browsing?
Searching allows you to look for specific keywords in the title, subject, and description of items, or to search for author names, organizations, or URLs. Browsing provides a broad view of materials using the information structure of the collection.
What information do I get from searches?
A PSRC search provides a list of items that match your search criteria. This list includes, for each item, the title, the start of the description, the author, the grade level, and the subject. This list provides links to detailed information about the item and to its URL.
How can I organize my search and browse results?
Search results can be ordered alphabetically by the subject, title or the author, or sorted by the primary grade level. In addition, browse lists can be filtered by sub-topic.
How can I participate in the PSRC?
Users who join the PSRC can submit suggestions for materials to add to the database and can provide comments and join discussions about the materials.
If I submit an item, will it show up on the PSRC?
Member submissions of items to the PSRC are reviewed by the PSRC editor. If accepted, more detailed information is collected about the items before posting. Acceptance depends on the item's suitability for meeting needs of teachers in the physical sciences.
How can I add comments about an item on the PSRC?
For members who are logged in, there is a link to add comments about an item on search lists and the detailed information page for the item. Links to these comments appear on the detailed information page.
What is the "Filing Cabinet"?
The filing cabinet is a place for PSRC members store bookmarks to PSRC items. These bookmarks are stored in folders on the PSRC site so that they can be accessed whenever the member is logged in. Lists that results from searching or browsing can also be stored in the Filing Cabinet.
Do I need to join the PSRC?
No, you may search and browse the database without joining the PSRC.
What are the benefits of joining the PSRC?
Members of the PSRC have additional tools that improve their use of the site. These include the ability to set preferences that sort materials according to their needs, a filing cabinet to store resources they find useful, discussion forums with other users, and the ability to recommend resources for inclusion in the database.
What is required to join the PSRC?
To join, users must provide their name and email. Further information can be provided, if desired, to personalize the PSRC for the user and enhance interactions with others.
Why do pages on the PSRC change?
The PSRC is a dynamic collection, meaning the information provided depends on a user's requests and the information that exists in the database. As the database grows, the displayed pages will change. A Filing Cabinet is provided to registered users for storage and simple recovery of information that they find important.
Is there a cost for the PSRC?
The PSRC is a free and open resource provided as service by the American Association of Physics Teachers and its partners. It is supported, in part, by funding from the APS Campaign for Physics and the National Science Foundation and is part of the NSF National Science Digital Library.
Who can I contact for further information?
You can contact PSRC staff using our feedback form.
Additional information is available on the PSRC About Page.
