Evidence-Based Academic Study Methods

Overview

Decades of cognitive psychology research have identified which study techniques reliably improve learning and retention, and which popular methods are largely ineffective. This guide covers the most effective evidence-based strategies — spaced repetition, active recall, interleaving, elaboration, and concrete examples — with practical implementation advice for graduate students and researchers.

Effectiveness Ranking

Based on Dunlosky et al. (2013) comprehensive review of 10 learning techniques: