This paper reports on a study developed to determine what experts in the area of educational research perceive as the basic skills and knowledge areas that one who has successfully completed a one-semester graduate course in educational research should possess. A decision was made to conduct a Delphi study to identify these skills and knowledge areas. To establish a panel of experts, the membership of a special interest group of professors of educational research was asked to nominate experts to participate in the round of questionnaires. A description is given of the Delphi process and how, in this case, it synthesized diverse opinions into a consensus. A discussion of the findings notes that the top five skill and knowledge areas found to be essential were concerned with knowledge of research-oriented periodicals and critical evaluation of reports in those periodicals which involves understanding the concepts of internal and external validity. The questions asked in the study and their ranking in importance by the panel are presented, and a copy of the first round questionnaire is appended. (JD)