Produced by Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL), one of the nation’s foremost educational research and training organizations, An Education Research Primer gives educators a basic understanding of educational research, its guiding criteria, and its relevance to school-based decision-making. In clear and concise language the book summarizes the various types of educational research, explaining their diverse purposes and methods. For example, the difference between experimental research (studies involving control group trials) and descriptive research (based on descriptive  information and relationships) is explained, including how each is designed to address different types of research questions, and why each might have different applications.  The book also describes what’s involved in setting up a comparison control group and how some studies have randomized control groups while others do not. In addition, the book describes the different types of data collection methods used in research and how this can bear on the research findings.

Patricia A. Lauer, Ph.D., is a former principal researcher with Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) in Aurora, Colorado. Currently, she is the evaluation director for the Rocky Mountain Center for Health Promotion and Education in Lakewood, Colorado.