An overview of the research needed on the new Test of Written English (TWE), a section of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), looks at research needs in the areas of test validity, test reliability, topic development, and equating. Suggested topics for study include: the uniqueness of the construct measured by the test, in comparison with other TOEFL scores; the comparability of scores obtained on different topics and topic types; ways in which to equate TWE scores; wording of essay test prompts; and the empirical comparability of the skills tapped by the test's two topic types. The last is considered the most important. It is noted that several aspects of the test's quality have already been well enough established that further research is not crucial. These include general validity and reliability, general construct validity, and interrater reliability. (MSE)