Qualities of Good Research Articles (Quantitative)

The value of assessment, program evaluation, and research lies in generating information in a systematic way to inform others about the impact of educational programs on various constituencies. Therefore, reports on the results of research should be tailored to particular audiences and purposes. Researchers may, therefore, prepare more than one report of the findings and conclusions (e.g., executive summary, detailed research report, short paragraphs for a newsletter, manuscript for publication in a journal, Power Point slides for a presentation). Each product should contain the necessary details that the intended audience needs, with graphic and tabular representations of the findings, as appropriate. The conclusions and recommendations should distinguish between conclusions based on robust data and those that are more speculative. Promises of confidentiality should always be honored.