Educational research refers to the systematic collection and analysis of data related to the field of education.

Research may involve a variety of methods.

Research may involve various aspects of education including student learning, teaching methods, teacher training, and classroom dynamics.

Educational assessment is the systematic process of documenting and using empirical data on the knowledge, skill, attitudes, and beliefs to refine programs and improve student learning.

Assessment data can be obtained from directly examining student work to assess the achievement of learning outcomes or can be based on data from which one can make inferences about learning.

Assessment is often used interchangeably with test, but not limited to tests.

Assessment can focus on the individual learner, the learning community (class, workshop, or other organized group of learners), a course, an academic program, the institution, or the educational system as a whole (also known as granularity).

The word 'assessment' came into use in an educational context after the Second World War.

Developmental psychology is the scientific study of how and why human beings change over the course of their life.

Originally concerned with infants and children, the field has expanded to include adolescence, adult development, aging, and the entire lifespan.

This field examines change across a broad range of topics including: motor skills, cognitive development, executive functions, moral understanding, language acquisition, social change, personality, emotional development, self-concept and identity formation.

Justice is the legal or philosophical theory by which fairness is administered.

The concept of justice differs in every culture.

An early theory of justice was set out by the Ancient Greek philosopher Plato in his work The Republic.

Advocates of divine command theory argue that justice issues from God.

In the 17th century, theorists like John Locke argued for the theory of natural law.

Thinkers in the social contract tradition argued that justice is derived from the mutual agreement of everyone concerned.

In the 19th century, utilitarian thinkers including John Stuart Mill argued that justice is what has the best consequences.

Theories of distributive justice concern what is distributed, between whom they are to be distributed, and what is the proper distribution.

Egalitarians argued that justice can only exist within the coordinates of equality.

John Rawls used a social contract argument to show that justice, and especially distributive justice, is a form of fairness.

Science policy is concerned with the allocation of resources for the conduct of science towards the goal of best serving the public interest.

Topics include the funding of science, the careers of scientists, and the translation of scientific discoveries into technological innovation to promote commercial product development, competitiveness, economic growth and economic development.

Science policy focuses on knowledge production and role of knowledge networks, collaborations and the complex distributions of expertise, equipment and know-how.

Understanding the processes and organizational context of generating novel and innovative science and engineering ideas is a core concern of science policy.

Science policy topics include weapons development, health care and environmental monitoring.