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 of the work, by another scholar, or by the publisher of the work. The book may have been published anywhere in the world but must be available in English. Edited volumes, including textbooks, are not considered for the award.