Essential Foundational Education Research Methods Articles for Graduate Medical Educators: A Delphi Study

Background Graduate medical educators interested in designing and conducting education research may seek foundational general overview articles on education research methods. Objective We aimed to identify the most useful foundational education research methods articles for medical educators. Methods We identified candidate articles through a 2020 Ovid MEDLINE literature search augmented by the authors' personal files and by cross-checking references of included articles. Articles that were primarily about general education research principles were included; articles were excluded if they were not focused on medical education research methods, were published prior to the year 2000, were written in a non-English language, or had no available abstracts. We conducted a modified Delphi study with 10 participants representing a range of specialties and education research experience to find consensus about the most useful articles. We planned 3 rounds of the Delphi process, the first to eliminate any articles not deemed useful for this audience, and the second and third rounds to include articles that at least 80% of the panel deemed "most useful" to education researchers. Results Of 25 relevant articles identified in the literature search: one was excluded in round 1, 7 met the a priori threshold of 80% agreement for inclusion in round 2, and an additional 2 met inclusion in round 3. These 9 foundational education research methods articles relevant to graduate medical educators are described, along with a capsule summary and specific use for education researchers. Conclusions Our modified Delphi study of foundational education research methods articles identified 9 articles deemed useful for graduate medical educators who are seeking methods resources.