In this project, researchers will promote the usefulness, sustainability, and visibility of the Registry of Efficacy and Effectiveness Studies (REES), a registry of impact studies in education. REES was initially developed with a previous IES grant to the Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness (SREE) in an effort to increase transparency, improve the replicability of studies, and provide easy access to information about completed and ongoing studies. REES is currently housed on an interactive website and is designed to accommodate study entries (including basic study information and pre-analysis plans) using a range of research designs, including randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental designs.
In addition to increasing transparency, the registry has the potential to improve education policy and practice by (a) encouraging researchers to think carefully about all aspects of the study design and analysis; (b) allowing stakeholders to identify research gaps by easily locating completed and ongoing studies; (c) expediting the process of conducting research syntheses and replication studies; and (d) providing a mechanism for assessing potential publication bias in educational research. In order to reach these goals, additional work is needed. First, given that single-case designs are commonly used in special education impact studies, REES needs to be updated to accommodate these designs. Second, to ensure the longevity of the registry, REES needs to be transferred to a more sustainable platform. Third, dissemination efforts are needed to promote the visibility, credibility, and use of REES among education researchers, funders, publishers, and users of education research.
