RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES IN LANGUAGE TREATMENT RESEARCH

When conducting research, the proper design must be selected to addres s the study question. If this is not done or is incorrectly applied, s tudy results may be questioned. This article discusses several designs used in research in general and specifically in language treatment re search. Randomized clinical trials are highlighted because of their de signation as the gold standard for determining treatment efficacy in t he medical community. A brief discussion of the Communication Sciences and Disorders Clinical Trials Research Group, the first cooperative g roup devoted to determining the efficacy of treatments provided by spe ech-language pathologists and audiologists, is presented.