Policy makers and practitioners face growing pressure to use a wide range of sources of evidence or ‘intelligence’ in making decisions about interventions, policy developments and practice interventions. They cannot confine themselves to the question ‘what works?’ but must addresses additional questions about the nature and significance of the problem to be addressed; the nature of proposed interventions; their differential impact; cost effectiveness; acceptability; and so on. To do this requires that they draw on a wide and diverse range of sources of evidence. This may include quantitative and qualitative research evidence informed by different disciplines and perspectives as well as none research evidence.  Methods for reviewing and synthesising quantitative research about effectiveness have developed rapidly. However, methods for synthesising other types of quantitative research, or for synthesising qualitative research, and for integrating

See more of The Systematic Review of Qualitative Findings
See more of The 17th International Nursing Research Congress Focusing on Evidence-Based Practice (19-22 July 2006)