Methodological Trends in Disability and Higher Education Research: Historical Analysis of the Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability

In order to assess the status of the research base that informs "what works" for students with disabilities in higher education, it is necessary to conduct an examination of the methodologies used in the literature. The authors of the current study analyzed the methodological trends across the thirty-year lifespan of the Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, spanning the years 1983 to 2012. Every article published by JPED was coded using an electronic tool comprised of four domains and corresponding subdomains. The authors concluded that data-based studies constitute more than half of all studies published in the Journal, with the majority of articles being descriptive and quantitative in nature. Only six studies used a control or comparison condition. Additional findings and implications are discussed.