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This paper provides an analysis of the relationship of research to educational reform and its instrumental function within the context of educational change. It is suggested that a broad range of projects must be examined in order to gain an understanding of the influence of research on policy. The author examines the links between research and its use by policy-makers and educational practitioners, and identifies the constraints and influences on the researchers and the users of research. In the second part of the paper, the focus is on methods of reviewing research and combining the outcomes to use educational research to inform and facilitate educational reform. Current work by the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) on the development of guidelines to advise medical clinicians on best practice based on the evidence of extensive research rather than those developed through practice, is used to illustrate the use of research to inform decision-making about change in education.