Dealing with Missing Data in Educational Research: Methodological Innovations and Contemporary Recommendations

The research team will develop two products that will serve as training tools for educational researchers. First, they will prepare a review paper that provides foundational knowledge about classic missing data topics as well as an up-to-date account of recent methodological innovations; all with a specific focus on application. The paper will provide researchers with a broad view of the methodological literature, accessible rather than mathematical descriptions of missing data handling procedures, and research-based prescriptions for applied practice. They will also produce an instructional video series that illustrates different procedural aspects of a missing data analysis. The video series will provide researchers with step-by-step tutorials that walk through different aspects of missing data analyses using Blimp, a standalone statistical analysis software package that offers sophisticated missing data handling routines—developed under awards R305D150056 and R305D190002. Collectively, the two products will provide education researchers with the resources they need to understand and skillfully utilize cutting-edge missing data methodologies in their own research.