Research-to-Practice Toolkit

Reference Desk

There is a great deal of education research and best-practice guidance available these days — especially on the Internet. How do you decide which resources contain reliable information and sound advice about education practices you might consider adopting? These tools can help you.

Types of References

Education References Matrix
Outlines research and resource types and their relative validity.

Glossary of Research Terms
A Policymaker's Primer on Education Research

You’re looking at a REL Reference Desk Report. Now what?

Regional Education Laboratory-Northeast & Islands (REL-NEI) Reference Desk Reports are created to answer field-generated questions. They contain links to relevant websites, research reports, and journal articles, as well as targeted referrals to organizations or government-funded centers that might provide more information or offer technical assistance. Review this sample to understand more about them:

Reference Desk Sample (coming soon)

Explore Other Reference Desk Reports

Request Your Own Reference Desk Search

Education Research Sources

The Reference Desk team accesses many reliable sources to compile answers to the questions they receive. If you’d like to do some education research of your own, the links provide a starting point for finding evidence-based solutions and strategies.

From IES and the REL [view][hide]

Institute of Education Sciences (IES)
IES brings rigorous and relevant research, evaluation, and statistics.
- National Center for Education Research (NCER)
- National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (NCEE)
- National Center for Special Education (NCSER)
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
IES Practice Guides (IES)
The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) publishes practice guides in education to bring the best available evidence and expertise to bear on the types of challenges that cannot currently be addressed by single interventions or programs. IES practice guides consist of a list of discrete recommendations for educators that are intended to be actionable. These recommendations taken together are intended to be a coherent approach to a multifaceted problem. Each recommendation is explicitly connected to the level of evidence supporting it (e.g., strong, moderate, low). IES practice guides are written by panels of nationally recognized experts and are subjected to rigorous external peer review.
Regional Educational Laboratory Program (REL)
The REL is a network of ten laboratories that serve the educational needs of a designated region by providing access to high quality, scientifically valid education research through applied research and development projects, studies, and other related technical assistance activities.
Click the “REL Work in Progress” link to learn what work is being conducted across the country on a variety of education topics. Click the “Publications and Products” link to access published, final reports based on this work.
REL-NEI Reference Desk Request Search

Other Sources (in alpha order)[view][hide]

Doing What Works (DWW)
DWW is a website sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education. Its is to create an online library of resources that may help teachers, schools, districts, states and technical assistance providers implement research-based instructional practice. DWW provides examples of possible ways educators might apply the research findings of the What Works Clearinghouse.
ERIC/Ask ERIC

U.S. Department of Education Content Centers
The content centers serve as resources for the 16 regional U.S. Department of Education Comprehensive Centers (RCCs). The content centers provide a variety of reports related to their topic focus.
What Works Clearinghouse (WWC)
The WWC promotes informed education decision making through a set of easily accessible databases and reports that provide education consumers with high-quality reviews of the effectiveness of replicable educational interventions (programs, products, practices, and policies) that intend to improve student outcomes.

Guidance on Evaluating Research and Best-Practice Literature

These resources explain types of studies and sources. They help the practitioner select the most reliable research related to effective practices and programs.

From the REL

Four short audio presentations. (Coming soon)

Part I: What is Scientifically-based Research? Why is it important to me?

Part II: How do I identify and compare types of research documents?
(Includes links to different types of docs like Lit review, meta-analysis, RCT, case study, practice guide.)

Part III: How can I use and apply research as a wise consumer?

Part IV: Where can I find good research and reliable information?

Other Sources (in alpha order)[view][hide]

Consumer’s guide to education research
Critical Issue: Using Scientifically Based Research to Guide Educational Decisions
Margolin, J., Buchler, B.
North Central Regional Education Laboratory (NCREL)/Learning Point Associates
This Critical Issue publication focuses on how educators can use scientifically based research to inform teaching practices, curriculum decisions, and school-wide programs. It is intended to guide teachers and administrators toward understanding, locating, and applying scientifically based research to improve student learning.
Educational Research: Some Basic Concepts and Terminology
International Institute for Educational Planning (UNESCO)
September 2005
This document was prepared by International Institute for Public Planning (IIEP) staff and consultants to be used in training workshops presented for the National Research Coordinators who are responsible for the educational policy research program conducted by the Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality (SACMEQ).
Finding credible research: Q&A
How do I know if a data source is trustworthy?
Identifying and Implementing Educational Practices Supported by Rigorous Evidence: A User Friendly Guide
U.S. Department of Education
Institute of Education Sciences (IES)
December 2003
This guide seeks to provide educational practitioners with user-friendly tools to distinguish practices supported by rigorous evidence from those that are not.
A Policymakers Primer on Education Research: How to Understand, Evaluate, and Use It
Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL)
February 2004
The goal of this primer is to help policymakers and other interested individuals answer three big questions: What does the research say? Is the research trustworthy? How can the research be used to guide policy?