How does research get published?

Research gets published via several different routes. One of the most common is through an academic journal, which involves authors submitting their manuscript to an editor, who then determines whether the article will be reviewed by the editorial board or external reviewers. Often academics are asked to revise and resubmit.

Where can I see the research publication process in action?

To give a recent example from the EEF, in 2021, it commissioned a team at the University of Birmingham to conduct a systematic, evidence and practice review on cognitive science approaches in the classroom.

The research was commissioned to find out what the evidence says about an increasingly influential way of developing classroom practices.

The EEF published a study protocol on its website, setting out the objectives of the research, the methodology the researchers would use and the planned timeline for the work.

It went through a peer-review process before it was published on the EEF website.

The review looked at the impact that cognitive science-based approaches - such as spaced practice and retrieval practice - have in the classroom. It found that there is value in teachers having working knowledge of cognitive science principles.

However, it also concluded that the evidence for the application of those principles in everyday classroom conditions is limited, with uncertainties and gaps about the applicability of specific principles across subjects and age ranges.

Further reading:

• Cognitive science approaches in the classroom: a review of the evidence
• Is cognitive science a load of trouble?
• What’s next for cognitive science in the classroom?
• Trust teachers to make the most of cognitive science