All GTC funded research aims to:

• reflect agreed policy priorities
• be rigorous, impartial, transparent, ethical and fit for purpose
• be procured, contracted and managed according to current best practice
• be conducted according to an explicit ethical code
• add value and coherence to research in any given field, rather than duplicating other work
• be grounded as far as possible in existing knowledge
• involve practitioners in design and planning
• be partnered by/commissioned from an institution which is:
• highly rated for research quality
• broadly committed to ‘research and development’
• developing creative approaches conceptually and/or methodologically
• engaged with the teaching profession in design and conduct of projects
  committed to broad-based peer review
• committed to capacity-building and support for researchers
• committed to interactive dissemination of research outcomes
• looking towards long-term/sustainability/futures agenda.

Peer review and stakeholder engagement

Peer review is an important process contributing to the maintenance of high standards  and value-for-practice of research.  The GTC attempts to build peer review processes into its contracted research projects through one or more of the following processes:

• establishment of an appropriate project advisory group, which normally includes one or more external experts.  The role of the advisory group is to monitor and advise on the design, conduct and outputs of the research, and to comment freely on the merits of any draft reports prior to publication.  The advisory group will also, through its membership, have regard for the relevance of the research to current policy initiatives, practices and local developments.
• convening of a scrutiny meeting of external research experts.  The role of the scrutiny meeting is to comment freely on the draft final report prior to publication, with especial regard for methodological appropriateness and transparency, validity and reliability of findings, and propriety of conclusions and inferences.
• convening of one or more validation workshops of stakeholder representatives.  The role of the validation workshop is to test out the soundness of the findings and inferences from a variety of perspectives, including ‘validity for policy and/or practice’.

These processes ensure that the research report has been thoroughly examined with regard to its merit and found to be worthy of publication and utilisation.