The subject of this report is an approach to teaching that has become known in recent years as "open education." An attempt is made to answer the questions, What is a research variable? and, Can openness be a variable in educational research? Part 1 serves the purpose of a position statement. Certain principles are declared to be the guidelines or criteria that should be heeded in preparing a new concept for admission to the research literature. The principles are explained and defended and some evidence is presented to indicate that they are not universally recognized by researchers, to the detriment of the quality of the research. Part 2 is an attempt to apply the principles to the concept of open education. The descriptive and research literature on open education is surveyed, a definition is proposed, and the issues involved in preparing a measuring instrument are discussed. The final chapter explores the question of whether the concept of openness is likely to prove useful in educational research. (Author/MLF)