Evaluating and Writing Education Papers Compared with Noneducation Papers

Abstract

The field of medical education research is growing rapidly, but educational research has been widely criticized for its lack of a scientific approach, poor theoretical frameworks or study designs, deficient research methods and reporting quality, and lack of meaningful outcomes that would inform practice. There have been recent calls for greater accountability and return on investment for all research efforts and clinical practice. The impact of medical education on important health outcomes such as patient care is unclear but likely underestimated. A better understanding of the role and the structure of medical education research is called for, and in this review, the author outlines a framework for reading, reviewing, and (hopefully) pursuing and carrying out medical education research. Medical education research methodologies are discussed, along with guidelines for reading articles. A structured guideline is suggested and provided for interested readers and reviewers of educational research. Although there are challenges to be faced, they provide endless possibilities to expand and improve on medical education research and to bring it to its full fruition, alongside traditional clinical research. Education is critical to important outcomes, and a greater emphasis should be placed on understanding medical education research.