Issue Forums at Mathematica

Systematic Reviews as a Tool in Evidence-Based Decision Making:
Improving Research and Informing Practice

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Webinar recording
PowerPoint Presentation (PDF)

Speakers included:

• Roberto Agodini, Center for Improving Research Effectiveness at Mathematica
• Jill Constantine, Mathematica
• Naomi Goldstein, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• Joy Lesnick, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education
• Kathryn Stack, Office of Management and Budget, Executive Office of the President
• Antoinette Rath, Superintendent, Mount Laurel Township (NJ) Schools

With constant pressure to “do more with less,” policymakers and program administrators are turning to the existing research base for guidance on funding decisions, assistance with program development, and evidence of program effectiveness. For the research to be useful, however, decision makers must be able to draw accurate lessons from what can often be a large and bewildering assortment of relevant studies. Systematic reviews can be particularly useful in this regard because they identify, assess, and synthesize key pieces of evidence on policy or program effectiveness.

The forum focused on:

• How systematic reviews are being used by policymakers, program administrators, and practitioners
• When to use systematic reviews, why it makes sense to use them, and how to design and conduct them
• Turning research into reality—developing user-friendly products from the information in systematic reviews