Research Evaluation Checklist: How do I evaluate educational research?

As another school year begins, teachers around the nation will attend professional development where the newest educational research will be trusted upon them, which then will, in turn, be expected to read, evaluate, synthesize and implement the suggestions from the researchers. This is a lot of to ask of teachers who are already overworked and stressed out. In order to help teachers sort through the rash of information that’s thrown at them, it helps educators to have a reasonable grasp on evaluating research: is it worth our time and effort? Will this research really help my students learn? By using the suggestions below, teachers can quickly evaluate an article or books claims and decide whether or not they are advisable courses of action.
1) Who published the work? Who paid for the research? Consider the source—even the financial source-- of the work. Where is the research or author from? What credentials does the author/s have? Do they represent a special interest group or business? By evaluating the source, readers may determine the intent of the article. If the research is presented by a business, the research is most likely one sided to support the businesses interests. For example, emails suggesting research that certain “educational software” improves reading scores are often sent to educators responsible for software purchasing. Upon further look, the supporting research was conducted by the software manufacturers. This is a red flag; the research should be completed by unbiased researcher who has no financial ties to the results.
2) The research should be written clearly. Research in the social sciences should be written in an easy to understand format that allows the reader to grasp the content and purpose without needing a dictionary or a search engine. If the ideas are worthy, the research won’t have to prove his intelligence by using words and professional jargon that confuses the intended audience.
3) Does the work make sense? Can you easily identify holes in the research? Even though you may not be an official researcher (though it can easily be argued that all teachers are engaged in action research), it is easy to identify lapses in the research. If you have a question pertaining about the content, subjects being studies, methods or any other red flags that pop up, seriously look in to your concerns. There is a good chance that what doesn’t seem right to you could be an overlook or omission by the researcher. Many times these variables affect the research findings. Consider the article, “Bad Research: A Comparison of iPad, Kindle, and Book Reading Speeds” by John M Grohol PSYD. This article highlights the flaws and problems with what may seem like a plausible study. Overall, if it doesn’t make sense to you, it may not make sense at all.
By following the above advice, educators can easily and quickly determine if they are reading a study worthy of his/her time or not. Considering the author, the format and the overall methodology can offer clues to the researches legitimacy.