A Brief History of Research Synthesis

Chalmers, Iain; Hedges, Larry V.; Cooper, Harris

doi:10.1177/0163278702025001003

Cited by 378 publications

(231 citation statements)

References 80 publications

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“…It has not always been rewarded by professional incentives (Rayleigh, 1885, p. 20;Chalmers et al 2002), but systematic review is now a key part of scientific publication in fields such as health and education (Oliver and Pearce, 2017). Wilson's (1998, p. 294) appeal sums up its role:…”

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confidence: 99%

Knowledge management for policy impact: the case of the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre

et al. 2018

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The European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) employs over 2000 scientists and seeks to maximise the value and impact of research in the EU policy process. To that end, its Knowledge management for policy (KMP) initiative synthesised the insights of a large amount of interdisciplinary work on the 'evidence-policy interface' to promote a new skills and training agenda. It developed this training initially for Commission staff, but many of its insights are relevant to organisations which try to combine research, policymaking, management, and communication skills to improve the value and use of research in policy. We recommend that such organisations should develop teams of researchers, policymakers, and 'knowledge brokers' to produce eight key practices: (1) research synthesis, to generate 'state of the art' knowledge on a policy problem; (2) management of expert communities, to maximise collaboration; (3) understanding policymaking, to know when and how to present evidence; (4) interpersonal skills, to focus on relationships and interaction; (5) engagement, to include citizens and stakeholders; (6) effective communication of knowledge; (7) monitoring and evaluation, to identify the impact of evidence on policy; and (8) policy advice, to know how to present knowledge effectively and ethically. No one possesses all skills relevant to all these practices. Rather, we recommend that organisations at the evidence-policy interface produce teams of people with different backgrounds, perspectives, and complementary skills.

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confidence: 99%

Knowledge management for policy impact: the case of the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre

et al. 2018

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“…Until the advent of ''evidence-based medicine'' based on evidence whose importance was recognized in the early seventies of the past century [17], the efficacy of the procedures was based on traditional observational studies, and on judgements and opinions of experts. Clinical studies and expertise generally considered ESIs as effective in the treatment of inflammatory radiculopathies and most open studies disclosed positive results [63].…”

Section: Clinical Experiencementioning

confidence: 99%

Epidural steroid injections in the management of low-back pain with radiculopathy: an update of their efficacy and safety

2011

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Introduction Epidural steroid injections (ESIs) have been widely used for over 50 years in the treatment of low-back pain with radiculopathy. Most interventional pain physicians strongly believe in their efficacy and safety. Recent Cochrane systematic reviews have disclosed controversial results and have questioned the effectiveness of ESIs. Moreover, a few neurological adverse events have been reported recently. Methods A literature search of systematic reviews analysing the effectiveness and complications of ESIs was carried out. The scientific quality of the reviews was assessed using the validated index of Oxman and Guyatt. We relied on data abstraction and quality ratings of the placebo-controlled trials as reported by high-quality systematic reviews. Results Two types of systematic reviews were found. The Cochrane high-quality systematic reviews combining the three approaches and different pathologies were predominantly non-conclusive. The second type of review, emanating from the US Evidence-based Practice Centers, distinguishing between the routes of administration and between the principal pathologies found a moderate shortterm benefit of ESIs versus placebo in patients with disc herniation and radiculitis, in keeping with the clinical experience. ESIs are generally well tolerated and most complications are related to technical problems. Cases of paraplegia, complicating the foraminal route and related to the violation of a radiculomedullary artery, have been recently reported. They are predominantly observed in previously operated patients. Conclusions Epidural steroid injections have a moderate short-term effect in the management of low-back pain with radiculopathy. Severe neurological complications are exceptional, but call for research for alternative approaches to the foramen as well as for means to detect an eventual arterial injury.

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“…In the presence of heterogeneity, randomeffects syntheses are preferable. 12,13 We tested for between-study heterogeneity with the χ 2 -based Q statistic (formally deemed significant for p<0·10) 13 and quantified its extent with I 2 , which ranges from 0% to 100% and represents the proportion of between-study variability ascribed to heterogeneity rather than to chance. 14 Values for I 2 of 0-24% suggest little heterogeneity, 25-49% reflect moderate heterogeneity, 50-74% reflect large heterogeneity, and more than 75% reflect very large heterogeneity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Genotypes were ascertained for all 13 SNPs reported in the original genomewide study 2 by use of several genotyping platforms following standard protocols: TaqMan SNP Genotyping Assays (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA, USA); LightCycler with HybProbes (Roche, Basel, Switzerland); MassARRAY Analyzer Compact (Sequenom, San Diego, CA, USA); and Pyrosequencing on a PSQ HS 96(A) system (Biotage AB, Uppsala, Sweden). A random selection of at least 5% of samples was regenotyped to determine precision; genotyping error rates were lower than 0·5% for all genotyping sites.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lack of replication of thirteen single-nucleotide polymorphisms implicated in Parkinson's disease: a large-scale international study

Elbaz

Nelson

Payami

et al. 2006

The Lancet Neurology

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A Brief History of Research Synthesis

Cited by 378 publications

References 80 publications

Knowledge management for policy impact: the case of the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre

Knowledge management for policy impact: the case of the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre

Epidural steroid injections in the management of low-back pain with radiculopathy: an update of their efficacy and safety

Lack of replication of thirteen single-nucleotide polymorphisms implicated in Parkinson's disease: a large-scale international study

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