The AERA Council established this award for the best book-length publication in educational research and development. To be considered for the Award, a book must be concerned with the improvement of the educational process through research or scholarly inquiry, must have a research base, and must have a copyright date of the past two years in the year in which the award is to be given.
A book may be nominated by the author or by another scholar. The book may have been published anywhere in the world but must be available in English. No edited volumes are considered for the award.