The realities of synthesizing and disseminating research evidence

This article describes the results of a 15-month pilot project to determine whether producers and users of organizations' research findings can synthesize and disseminate evidence collaboratively. The findings of the project suggest that the collaborative approach is a feasible but costly endeavor owing to differences in need, expertise, experience and context. Funding agencies should consider alternative ways to build sustainable partnerships and to address the cultural and political contexts of organizations involved with the synthesis and dissemination of evidence.