The purpose of this article is to identify and characterize prominent journal publications in the field of special education ffrom 1966 to 1986. Based on a specific set of criteria, 36 frequently cited articles were identified. These articles were compared with 25 randomly selected articles on a number of characteristics (e.g., funding source, research design, statistical method). The majority of frequently cited articles were non-data-based, published in area-specific journals, and single authored by males. Non-data-based prominent articles were more likely to make recommendation for policy or practice, present a hypothesis, and state the findings of previous research (although methodology was infrequently analyzed) when compared to randomly selected articles. For data-based articles, both frequently cited and randomly selected articles were characterized as being nonfunded, basic in statistical sophistication, with minimal information on the validity and reliability of measurement instruments. Implications related to the characteristics and quality of articles that influence special education literature are discussed.
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