McCray-Brown and Leake 1

Niya McCray-Brown and Jonathan Leake

Dr. Craig Wynne
Adv. Writing: ENG 320
March 4th, 2015
Collaborative Journal Analysis Summary: American Educational Research Journal
The American Educational Research Journal is one of the nations premier sources for
scholarly information on various aspects of education. The journal specializes in empirical and
theoretical analyses of a wide variety of educational topics ranging from educational policy to
cultural implications of class climate. The publishers of this journal maintain the mission of the
publication by accepting empirical research articles only, as opposed to essays or forms of
creative writing. Although the American Educational Research Journal is dedicated to
publishing research, there is very pragmatic information found within its pages as it aims blend
research with practical application for educational advocates.
As a research journal the main methodology employed in this publication is empirical,
however some of the specific articles may employ other methods such as theoretical or
ethnographic. The journal is separated into two sections of analysis to accommodate its wide
range of readers. The first section is referred to as the Social and Institutional Analyses section.
This section encompasses three articles that address education on a societal basis, delving in
issues such as the roles of culture, economics, and policy on educational outcomes. The second
section is the Teaching, Learning, and Human Development section. This section also has
three articles, however it deals more specifically with educational processes and improvement.
Each section works to blend research and educational expertise with in an effort to provide
teachers, administrators and educational activist with practical information to improve or better
understand the complex nature of education. With a wide range of titles, the American
Educational Research Journal is arguably, the most comprehensive perspective on a plethora of
important educational issues in modern society.