Research synthesis plays a vital role in advancing knowledge, informing policy and practice, and shaping future research in social work. However, the proliferation of poorly designed and methodologically weak reviews threatens to dilute the evidence base, undermine decision-making, and slow progress. This paper calls for stronger adherence to high standards in research synthesis, emphasizing the need for thoughtful, well-executed reviews that add value and address important questions. It examines four key synthesis methods—systematic reviews, overviews of reviews, scoping reviews, and evidence and gap maps—clarifying their appropriate applications and highlighting methodological standards. In addition to providing guidance to help authors conduct higher quality reviews, it calls on journal editors and peer reviewers to uphold higher publication standards. Research synthesis can serve as a reliable foundation for evidence-informed practice and decision-making, but only if the syntheses are of high quality and address important questions.

中文翻译：

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研究综合方法：进行严格和相关综述的指南


研究综合在推进知识、为政策和实践提供信息以及塑造未来的社会工作研究方面发挥着至关重要的作用。然而，设计不佳和方法论薄弱的综述的激增可能会稀释证据基础，破坏决策，并减缓进展。本文呼吁在研究综合中更加严格地遵守高标准，强调需要深思熟虑、执行良好的综述，以增加价值并解决重要问题。它研究了四种关键的综合方法——系统评价、评价概述、范围界定评价以及证据和差距图——阐明了它们的适当应用并强调了方法标准。除了提供指导以帮助作者进行更高质量的审稿外，它还呼吁期刊编辑和同行评审员坚持更高的出版标准。研究综合可以作为循证实践和决策的可靠基础，但前提是综合质量高并解决重要问题。