Cozette Comer, MS
Evidence synthesis methods - e.g., systematic reviews, meta-analyses, scoping/mapping reviews - are a vital piece of the translation of knowledge to practice in health and medical sciences. More and more, we are seeing these methods adopted as a means to reduce research waste and increase confidence in cumulative science. These methods are also being adopted across other disciplines (e.g., engineering, education, environmental/agricultural sciences) at a rapid pace. For the past four years, I have led the strategic development of the Evidence Synthesis Services at the University Libraries at Virginia Tech. At its core, our mission is to lower the barrier of entry to novice reviewers and increase the quality of reviews published by researchers at VT, across all disciplines. We provide educational opportunities and support for faculty, students, and staff pursuing formal synthesis reviews, or who wish to enhance the rigor, reliability, and/or transparency of a standard literature review. On a personal note, I am passionate about the knowledge translation process and its impact on decision-making. In particular, I am exploring how policymakers use (and do not use) research (and synthesis) to inform policy as a part-time PhD student in Public Administration and Public Affairs at VT. I believe high quality synthesis can reduce cognitive burden among practitioners and decision-makers in health related fields and increase the researcher confidence in the direction of future research and funding, based on syntheses that highlight where more evidence is required, or existing evidence should be grappled with further.