Research designs and statistical techniques used in the Journal of Learning Disabilities, 1989-1993.

One hundred seventy-four research articles published in the Journal of Learning Disabilities from 1989 through 1993 were analyzed and coded by the type of research design and statistical technique used. Eighty percent of the research designs employed were identified as nonintervention methods. Fifty-five percent of all statistical techniques in the research articles reviewed were coded as primary, 32% were found to be intermediate, and the remaining 14% were considered advanced. The most frequently reported designs and analyses were those that are typically taught in most introductory and intermediate courses in research methods and statistics. Thus, the study indicates that readers would need at least a strong conceptual understanding of basic and intermediate statistical procedures to interpret research reported in the Journal of Learning Disabilities.