This document provides an overview of educational research. It discusses the scientific method and its application to educational research. There are two main ways research can be classified: by purpose (basic, applied, evaluation, research and development, action research) and by method (quantitative, qualitative). Quantitative research uses numerical data and controls, while qualitative explores experiences. Common quantitative designs are descriptive, correlational, causal-comparative, experimental, and single subject. The goal of educational research is to study educational problems scientifically and improve teaching and learning.