Methods for Research Synthesis: A Cross Disciplinary Approach

研究人员通常希望使用系统综述、荟萃分析和专家启发等方法综合独立研究的数据。研究综合提出了困难的方法问题，不同学科的方法也有不同的演变。综合方法的选择及其应用都可能影响结论，对决策具有重要意义。该研讨会将在环境、健康和安全政策的背景下探讨这些问题，这些方法可能会影响关于物质毒性、暴露与健康风险之间的关系、风险降低的货币价值以及其他政策相关研究问题的结论。该项目的目标是改进用于研究综合的方法，以促进基于证据的决策。这些目标包括：（1）通过汇集不同领域的专家来解决共同问题，加强在方法问题上的跨学科交流与合作;（2）更严格地界定最适合单独或结合使用不同综合方法的问题类型和数据类型;（3）制定创新方法，应对应用这些方法时的具体挑战;及（4）确定进一步跨学科工作可能特别有成效的领域。该项目包括三个阶段：编写背景文件、召开专家讲习班和传播成果。

Researchers often wish to synthesize data from independent studies, using methods such as systematic review, meta-analysis, and expert elicitation. Research synthesis presents difficult methodological questions and approaches have evolved differently across academic disciplines. Both the choice of synthesis method and its application can affect the conclusions, with important implications for decision making. This workshop explores these issues in the context of environmental, health, and safety policy, where such methods may affect conclusions about the toxicity of a substance, the relationship between exposure and health risks, the monetary value of risk reductions, and other policy-relevant research questions.The goal of the project is to improve the methods used for research synthesis so as to promote evidence-based decision making. The objectives include: (1) increasing cross-disciplinary communication and collaboration on methodological issues by bringing together experts from diverse fields to address common problems; (2) defining more rigorously the types of problems and types of data for which different synthesis methods are most appropriate, alone or in combination; (3) developing innovative approaches for addressing specific challenges in applying these methods; and (4) identifying areas where further cross-disciplinary work may be particularly fruitful. The project includes three phases: developing background papers, convening an expert workshop, and disseminating results.