Evidence synthesis foundations
Introducing the purpose, principles, review types, and practical role of evidence synthesis in research-informed decisions.
Skills, learning, capability
Training & Capacity
ESI supports learning and capacity building so organisations can produce, interpret, teach, and use evidence syntheses with confidence and clarity.
Building synthesis capability
Training helps evidence communities apply rigorous methods and communicate findings clearly.
Why training matters
Good synthesis depends on skilled people and strong organisations.
Evidence synthesis requires transparent methods, careful judgement, clear reporting, and an understanding of how research evidence can support decisions. Training helps researchers, practitioners, educators, and policy partners develop these skills in a structured way.
Capacity building also goes beyond individual training. It includes mentorship, organisational systems, shared resources, and sustainable approaches that allow evidence synthesis work to continue and improve over time.
Capacity building
From short courses to long-term capability.
ESI encourages approaches that help organisations build lasting capacity, not only one-off learning events. This can include shared curricula, peer exchange, train-the-trainer models, mentoring structures, and practical resources that support synthesis teams at different levels of experience.
Strong capacity helps organisations respond to real evidence needs, collaborate across sectors, and maintain quality as methods, standards, and expectations evolve.
Training focus areas
Core areas for stronger evidence synthesis practice.
Training can support both foundational knowledge and advanced capabilities needed to produce and use evidence syntheses responsibly.
Methods training
Supporting skills in question development, searching, screening, appraisal, extraction, analysis, interpretation, and updating.
Reporting standards
Helping teams report methods and findings transparently so syntheses are understandable, reproducible, and usable.
Policy translation
Building skills to communicate synthesised evidence clearly for decision makers, practitioners, communities, and policy audiences.
Organisational capability
Supporting systems, workflows, mentorship, governance, and resources that help synthesis work become sustainable.
Cross-disciplinary exchange
Encouraging learning between health, conservation, education, veterinary medicine, policy, and other evidence communities.
Who benefits
Training is useful for many roles in the evidence ecosystem.
Capacity building can support individuals, teams, institutions, networks, and decision-making partners involved in evidence synthesis.
Researchers and reviewers
People planning, conducting, updating, or improving evidence syntheses and related reviews.
Educators and trainers
Teams developing courses, workshops, learning resources, and mentoring programmes.
Policy and practice partners
Organisations using synthesis findings to inform guidance, programmes, decisions, and action.
Evidence centres
Institutions building long-term synthesis services, infrastructure, and quality processes.
Methods communities
Groups developing and teaching approaches that improve transparency, reliability, and relevance.
Emerging networks
New or growing organisations seeking practical models for sustainable evidence synthesis work.
Collaboration
Interested in training or capacity building collaboration?
Organisations working on evidence synthesis education, mentoring, methods training, or capacity development are invited to connect with ESI and explore shared learning opportunities.