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Sources of research synthesis

Where can research syntheses be located?
© University of Birmingham and Chartered College of Teaching

There are a variety of open access sources of research synthesis for you to explore and locate evidence relevant for your context.

Education Endowment Foundation

The EEF supports teachers and leaders by providing free, independent and evidence-based resources, summaries and practical tools designed to improve practice and boost learning. As well as reviews and guidance reports, it provides a Teaching and Learning ‘Toolkit’ and an Early Years Toolkit which summarise the results of trials in education.

Institute for Effective Education

The IEE are an independent charity working to improve education for all children by promoting the use of evidence in education policy and practice. They support (along with the EEF) the research schools network; produce ‘Best Evidence in Brief’ a free fortnightly e-newsletter focusing on stories with practical implications for schools and policy makers; provide the Evidence 4 Impact evidence summaries database; and the Evidence for the Frontline (E4F) support service for schools.

What Works Clearinghouse

The USA-based organisation, similar in aims and approach to the EEF. They aim to build a central and trusted source of scientific evidence on education programs, products, practices, and policies.

The Campbell Collaboration

Based in America, this collaboration grew out of a meeting in London in 1999. Eighty people from four countries attended the meeting. Systematic reviews had been produced in healthcare since 1994 and there was a need for an organisation that would produce systematic reviews of research evidence on the effectiveness of social interventions.

Further sources

The interactive document available at the bottom of this page holds a number of other key sources for you to explore.

Research summaries

Bristol Document Summary Service and the Chartered College of Teaching

Membership of the Chartered College of Teaching also provides access to the Bristol Document Summary Service. This is a UK monthly digest of selected research in education policy and theory. It summarises major reports by key organisations in education such as the DfE, EEF, Ofsted or NFER.

Once you’re ready, click ‘mark as complete’ and then click ‘The promise of meta-analysis’ to move on to the next step.
© University of Birmingham and Chartered College of Teaching
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Education Research That Matters: Ways of Researching

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