This document summarizes proceedings of a meeting held in September 1995. The purpose of the meeting was to gather educators and policymakers in order to establish criteria concerning links between educational research and decision making. Twenty participants from the following countries attended: Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Botswana, Brazil, Chile, China, Egypt, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, the Netherlands, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Romania, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The first section of the document summarizes the main issues brought out in the countries' reports: (1) the most pressing educational issues and problems; (2) linkages between educational research, educational reform, and decision making; (3) the major educational information sources available; and (4) main obstacles to better use of research for decision making. The second section offers a synthesis of the nations' experiences. Main issues are summarized and recommendations are offered in the third section. Recommendations include: establishing an international database on comparative studies; conducting comparative research; providing training for researchers and users of research; developing a regular forum of national and international researchers, practitioners, and policymakers; promoting information dissemination; and developing international networks. Appendices contain a summary of the country reports, a list of participants, and a list of acronyms and abbreviations. (LMI)