This introductory article describes how constructed response scoring is carried out, particularly the rater monitoring processes and illustrates three potential designs for conducting rater monitoring in an operational scoring project. The introduction also presents a framework for interpreting research conducted by those who study the constructed response scoring process. That framework identifies three classifications of inputs (rater characteristics, response content, and rating context) which typically serve as independent variables in constructed response scoring research as well as three primary outcomes (rating quality, rating speed, and rater attitude) which serve as the dependent variables in those studies. Finally, we explain how each of the articles in this issue can be classified according to that framework.