What is the difference between the descriptor and keyword searches?
The descriptor search uses a specific set of codes assigned to each review based on purposes of the material, science or mathematics topic area, and special features included in the material such as examples of student work or summaries of research. The keyword search returns reviews that contain one or more specific terms. So, for example, a search using the purpose descriptor “assessing student performance/achievement” would return a list of materials in which assessment was a major purpose. In contrast, a keyword search using the term “assessment” would return a list of all reviews that include the term, regardless of the context or extent of focus. For more information, see About the Descriptor Search, About the Keyword Search, and TE-MAT Descriptors.
