Developing and synthesizing evidence

Introduction

What is evidence? Evidence consists of facts or testimony in support of a conclusion or statement. Through this module, you will learn about the different types of evidence such as colloquial, context free scientific evidence and context-sensitive scientific evidence. Discover how to tailor your knowledge through ranking evidence through evaluation. 

After this module, you will be able to:

  1. Evaluate evidence through a series of guided steps
  2. Define key terms related to developing and synthesizing evidence such as internal and external validity, knowledge synthesis 
  3. Describe the levels of scientific evidence 
  4. Understand the systematic review process 
  5. Access and use the Cochrane Library, Amstar, Health Systems Evidence 
  6. Create knowledge tools/products such as Clinical practice guidelines, decision aids, and policy briefs
Learning Module Videos Coming Soon!

Reflective Questions 

  1. What is knowledge synthesis? 
  2. Why are systematic reviews at the top of the hierarchy of evidence?
  3. What is the difference between colloquial and scientific evidence?
  4. What task does each type of evidence inform: Scientific context free evidence, Scientific context sensitive evidence and Colloquial evidence? 
  5. What questions should you ask yourself while evaluating evidence? 
  6. What are the different levels of scientific evidence?

Resources

The Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario: https://rnao.ca/leading-change-toolkit/more-about-the-phase-identify-the-problem