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Protocol--realist and meta-narrative evidence synthesis: evolving standards (RAMESES).
Trisha Greenhalgh1, Geoff Wong, Gill Westhorp
1Healthcare Innovation and Policy Unit, Centre for Primary Care and Public Health, Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London E1 2AB, UK. p.greenhalgh@qmul.ac.uk
BMC Medical Research Methodology
|August 17, 2011
Summary
This study develops methodological guidance and quality standards for realist and meta-narrative systematic reviews. These approaches enhance evidence synthesis for complex interventions, improving research quality and consistency.
Area of Science:
- Health Research Methods
- Evidence Synthesis
- Qualitative and Mixed-Methods Research
Background:
- Growing interest in theory-driven systematic review approaches beyond conventional Cochrane-style reviews.
- Realist and meta-narrative reviews offer potential for understanding complex interventions in policy-relevant areas.
- Assessing the quality of these novel systematic review methods is challenging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop methodological guidance and publication standards for realist and meta-narrative systematic reviews.
- To create training resources for researchers using these advanced review methods.
- To enhance the quality and consistency of evidence synthesis in complex research areas.
Main Methods:
- Collating and summarizing existing literature on best practices.
- Conducting a Delphi study with interdisciplinary experts.
- Piloting standards and training materials on ongoing reviews.
- Synthesizing expert input and real-time analysis for definitive guidance.
Main Results:
- Development of quality standards and methodological guidance for realist and meta-narrative reviews.
- Creation of the RAMESES (Realist and Meta-review Evidence Synthesis: Evolving Standards) statement.
- Production of a comprehensive training module for researchers.
Conclusions:
- Realist and meta-narrative reviews are emerging systematic review approaches.
- Establishing quality assurance and uniform reporting is crucial for these methods.
- This work aims to improve the quality and consistency of secondary research.
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