We are pleased to announce the collection of TIRF’s Reference Lists has now been updated with new citations through the end of 2025. In addition, we have begun adding DOIs to the lists. A DOI is a “Digital Object Identifier” – a string of numbers, letters, and symbols that remains stable over time. DOIs help researchers find published information on the internet.

The TIRF reference lists are stored as Word documents, which anyone can download and use for free. There are now 262 topics available, which interest researchers, teachers, test developers, teacher educators, language program administrators, graduate students, and policymakers. Individuals can use these resources in conducting research, writing scholarly papers, preparing workshops or conference presentations, and so on.

The collection of reference lists is housed in the “Research Resources” section of TIRF’s website. Also included there are descriptions of TIRF’s Research Topics, the Foundation’s Publications and Presentations, and information about TIRF’s AI initiatives. You will also find webpages there called Literature Reviews and Annotated Bibliographies, Journals, and Research Organizations, all of which are related to the field of language education.

TIRF’s Reference Lists collection also provides a way in which you can support both the Foundation and our field while promoting your organization’s visibility via TIRF’s channels. For US $100 annually, organizations and individuals can sponsor a TIRF Reference List. Organizational sponsors include Ellii, ETS TOEFL, GATESOL, Korea TESOL, MetaMetrics, Multilingual Matters, National Geographic Learning, SUSTech, TESOL International Association, and World Learning. We also want to thank Dr. Christine Coombe and Dr. Kathi Bailey, who have chosen to support the Foundation by sponsoring various reference lists.

We wish to acknowledge the helpful input of Andy Curtis, Caleb Powers, and Elinor Robertson, all of whom have contributed new citations to various reference lists in the collection. In addition, Caleb has provided substantial support in updating reference lists and locating DOIs.

We hope you will explore the updated collection of TIRF Reference Lists and put these resources to work in your own teaching, research, and professional activities. And if you value what TIRF offers, please consider sponsoring a Reference List to help sustain and expand this growing resource for our global community!