Correlation Reporting in Multilevel Analyses: A Practical Guide and Review of Practices

• In Event: AERA Research in Progress Roundtable Session Two
  In Invited Roundtable: Research-in-Progress RT002 (Thursday)

Abstract

We provide reporting guidelines for correlation in multilevel analyses (MLA) and use these guidelines to systematically review 245 correlation reports in MLA in educational psychology journals between 2018 and 2025. Results are organized by (a) whether correlation coefficients were reported, (b) whether the level of analysis (e.g., within- vs. between-level) was specified, and (c) the format in which correlation information was presented. Twenty-five methodological textbooks on MLM, HLM, and ML-SEM were also reviewed. Results from this review have implications for improving the transparency and rigor of correlation reporting in MLA, and for developing reporting guidelines that align with the realities of current practices in educational research.

Authors

• Xue Han, The Ohio State University

• Minjung Kim, The Ohio State University