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NICHCY > Research > Research Basics
Research Basics 
 

A Roadmap to Research Information on NICHCY's Web Site

Research isn't always under R--at least not at NICHCY. But sometimes it is! To help you find research information on our Web site and in our publications, we've prepared this "Research Roadmap," which is, essentially, a map of where to go and what you'll find, research-wise, when you get there. We hope this will make it easy as 1, 2, 3 to find the research-based information you're looking for.

Research 101

There's high-quality, well-designed, noteworthy research, and then...there's research that may have serious flaws in its design, conclusions, or generalizability to other students or settings. How do you tell the difference? These Research Connections are intended to help you do just that. These resources lay down the basics--what makes for good research, what good researchers consider when they do their work, and what we, as consumers and decision makers, need to keep in mind when we review research and base decisions upon it.

Research 102

This Research 102 page takes a look at some basic research processes for adding up the evidence from individual studies and drawing bigger conclusions---about patterns and trends in what works and what doesn't. You can use this page in combination with the other offerings in our ever-growing collection of pages designed to make sense of research.

Special Education Research: Where to Start?

This page of resources is designed as a "Starter Kit" to research in general and the special education field in particular.

Research-Based Resources on Specific Disabilities

Here are a few educational research connections you might find useful as you plan and deliver services to children with specific disabilities such as AD/HD, learning disabilities, or autism.

Weighing Information for Its Worth

As we rely more and more on the Internet for information, and as we seek to base our decisions upon research evidence, it's important to consider the information, and its source, through the lens of a cautious consumer. But how do we do that? The resources listed below will hopefully shed light on the "how" of weighing information, as well as the "why."

Making Sense of Statistics in Research

When you read a research article, you're likely to run across descriptions of how the researchers analyzed the data they collected. In order to understand what the authors are trying to say, you need to understand their lingo. This Connections page can help you do just that.

What Works: Can We Say?

This NICHCY Connections page takes a look at an array of topics in education and the research we have on each. We've focused primarily on published meta-analyses and syntheses that add up the evidence to date on effective practice in each area.

Related Information

OSEP Resources

Related publications, presentations, and other resources from OSEP’s TA&D Network

Readers are encouraged to copy and share this information, but please credit the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY). NICHCY relies on feedback from users to enhance our collection, development, and dissemination of information. We encourage you to share your ideas and feedback with us! Please contact us at our email address (nichcy@aed.org) or visit the NICHCY Feedback Page at: www.nichcy.org/Pages/Feedback.aspx.

NICHCY thanks our Project Officer, Dr. Judy L. Shanley, at the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), U.S. Department of Education.

Publication of this Web resource page is made possible through Cooperative Agreement #H326N030003 between the Academy for Educational Development and the Office of Special Education Programs of the U.S. Department of Education. The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of Education, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

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