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Article

Research on Social Work Practice


2018, Vol. 28(1) 6-12
The Campbell Collaboration: Providing ª The Author(s) 2017
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Better Evidence for a Better World DOI: 10.1177/1049731517703748
journals.sagepub.com/home/rsw

Julia H. Littell1 and Howard White2

Abstract
In this article, we trace the development of the Campbell Collaboration and its renewed efforts to build a world library of
accurate, synthesized evidence to inform policy and practice and improve human well-being worldwide. Campbell systematic
reviews and related evidence synthesis products provide unbiased summaries of entire bodies of empirical evidence, making them
uniquely useful sources of information for policy and practice. With recent changes in organizational structure and new lead-
ership, the Campbell Collaboration is poised to dramatically increase the production, dissemination, and use of rigorous syntheses
of research on social, economic, and behavioral interventions. Campbell provides opportunities for social work scholars, prac-
titioners, and consumers to contribute to knowledge about the processes and outcomes of social, behavioral, and economic
interventions.

Keywords
evidence-based practice, systematic review, meta-analysis

The Campbell Collaboration promotes positive social and eco- the process, those that are likely to result in bias and error, and
nomic change through the production and use of systematic strategies designed to minimize bias and error at each step. The
reviews and other evidence synthesis for evidence-based policy Campbell Collaboration uses systematic review (SR) methods,
and practice. https://www.campbellcollaboration.org/about-camp- meta-analysis, and related approaches to produce unbiased,
bell/vision-mission-and-principle.html accurate summaries of empirical evidence to inform policy and
practice. This sets Campbell apart from many other research
synthesis enterprises.
As concerned citizens, consumers, service providers, and Research synthesis has become an interdisciplinary science,
knowledge brokers, we seek to understand complex social and informed by empirical research on the reliability and validity of
economic problems. We want comprehensive and reliable evi- different methods for identifying, analyzing, and synthesizing
dence about the effectiveness and costs of alternative strategies results across studies. This work has improved understanding
for solving these problems to guide decisions. What are some of common sources of bias and error in research reviews (e.g.,
effective ways to reduce bullying in schools? Can home-based Rothstein, Sutton, & Bornstein, 2005) and led to the develop-
interventions reduce the recurrence of child abuse and neglect? ment of international guidelines and standards for the conduct
What are the elements of successful welfare-to-work pro- and reporting of SRs and meta-analysis (Campbell Collaboration
grams? How do successful refugee resettlement programs oper- Steering Group, 2016a, 2016b; Chandler, Churchill, Higgins,
ate? We can find dozens of studies on each of these questions, Lasserson, & Tovey, 2012; Higgins & Green, 2011; Institute
although the methods and results of these studies will probably of Medicine, 2011; Moher, Liberati, Tetzlaff, Altman, the
vary if studies are conducted by different teams, with diverse PRISMA Group, 2009; Moher et al., 2015). Unfortunately, most
populations, or in a variety of contexts. These natural variations published research reviews do not follow these guidelines (Bas-
provide valuable opportunities to understand the range of tain, Glasziou, & Chalmers, 2010; Littell, 2013, 2016). Reviews
effects we can expect in real-world contexts and to identify that do not follow these guidelines are more likely to be subject
potential moderators of the effectiveness of certain interven-
tions. Instead of ignoring this complexity, we can use it to
advance knowledge for practice and policy. 1
Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research, Bryn Mawr College,
Single studies rarely provide sufficient guidance for policy Bryn Mawr, PA, USA
2
or practice. Replications are needed to gauge whether results Campbell Collaboration, New Delhi, India
are consistent across samples and settings. But distilling valid
Corresponding Author:
information from any body of empirical research is a highly Julia H. Littell, Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research, Bryn Mawr
complex task. A variety of strategies are available to guide College, 300 Airdale Rd., Bryn Mawr, PA 19010, USA.
research syntheses. These include strategies that oversimplify Email: jlittell@brynmawr.edu
Littell and White 7

to bias and error, so their findings may not provide a sound basis that would synthesize empirical evidence on the social ser-
for decision-making regarding policy and practice. vices. The Cochrane Collaboration’s success in synthesizing
Enervated by an international research network, the Camp- evidence on health care led Chalmers and others to wonder
bell Collaboration is building a world library of synthesized about the potential for similar groups in other sectors. Indeed,
evidence to inform social and economic policy and practice in in 1996, Adrian Smith, the then President of the Royal Statis-
the fields of education, criminology, international develop- tical Society, said,
ment, and social welfare. Other areas will be added as Camp-
bell expands. Founded in 2000, the Campbell Collaboration is a What’s so special about medicine? We are, through the media, as
voluntary, nonprofit organization that aims to enhance the evi- ordinary citizens, confronted daily with controversy and debate
dence base, so that decision makers—from consumers to world across a whole spectrum of public policy issues. But typically,
leaders—are better equipped to make informed decisions. we have no access to any form of systematic “evidence base”—
Most Campbell systematic reviews (SRs) focus on the effects and therefore no means of participating in the debate in a mature
of interventions, but some SRs synthesize evidence on trends or and informed manner. Obvious topical examples include educa-
associations (e.g., risk factors and outcomes). Campbell SRs of tion—what does work in the classroom?—and penal policy—what
intervention effects typically include both randomized trials and is effective in preventing re-offending? (Smith, 1996, cited in Pet-
high-quality quasi-experimental studies of impact. Campbell rosino, 2013, p. 10)
reviews cover a wide range of topics including Scared Straight
programs, welfare-to-work strategies, mindfulness-based stress While many British social scientists were wary of
reduction, conditional cash transfers in education, school-based applications of controlled trials and meta-analysis in social and
programs to prevent bullying, school-based feeding programs, educational contexts, researchers in the United States were
parenting programs, and kinship care. developing experimental and quasi-experimental methods for
The Campbell Library includes protocols for SRs that have evaluating the impacts of social programs (Campbell & Stanley,
been completed or are in progress, full reports on completed 1963; Cook & Campbell, 1979) and methods for synthesizing
reviews (including technical details and supporting materials), such results across studies (Cooper & Rosenthal, 1980; Hedges
plain language summaries of Campbell reviews, policy briefs, & Olkin, 1985; Wolf, 1986). Chalmers and others were con-
methods policies and guidelines, and methods discussion vinced that, in order to succeed, a Cochrane-like effort in the
papers. All documents in the Campbell Library are freely avail- social sciences would be led by researchers in the United States.
able (open access) to the public. In 1998, Chalmers met with Robert Boruch, a professor of
The Campbell Collaboration’s “influence on social science, education at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
in a relatively short period of time, is evidenced by the sheer Chalmers had been impressed with Boruch’s (1975) work on
number of publications, presentations at conferences, and refer- the uses of randomized experiments for program planning and
ences to its work” in diverse settings (Petrosino, 2013, p. 9). evaluation and suggested that Boruch start an organization to
Campbell is becoming the source for synthesized evidence in synthesize evidence on social and educational interventions,
the social sciences. with the assistance of Frederick Mosteller, an eminent Harvard
However, the commissioning and production of SRs is statistician, and Mosteller’s protégée, Anthony Petrosino.
growing far more rapidly than the Campbell Library. Tens of Chalmers also suggested that the new organization could be
thousands of reviews are now produced each year (Bastain named for Donald T. Campbell (1916–1996), the American
et al., 2010; Littell, 2016). Initiatives such as the What Works sociologist who envisioned an “experimenting society” com-
Clearinghouse in the United States and the What Works Cen- prised of a “disputatious community of ‘truth seekers’” devoted
ters in the United Kingdom commission and publish SRs. It is to improving social policy through rigorous evaluation and
increasingly common to find multiple reviews on the same analysis (Campbell, 1998, p. 35).
topic being commissioned by different agencies in different Intrigued by these ideas, Boruch enlisted the participation of
countries or even the same country. This results in uninten- Haluk Soydan, then at the Swedish National Board of Health
tional and unnecessary duplication of effort, which is wasteful and Welfare. Together, they explored interest among other
(at best) and often leads to confusion among consumers when potential collaborators in the United States, Europe, and else-
different reviews on the same topic come to different conclu- where (Schuerman et al., 2002).
sions. Different conclusions are often the result of variations in Chalmers organized an exploratory meeting in 1999 at the
the methodological quality of reviews. As the global repository School for Public Policy at the University College London. A
of SRs, there is an opportunity and challenge for Campbell to series of papers was prepared for the London meeting to make
work with commissioning agencies to coordinate their demand the case for the Campbell Collaboration (Davies, Petrosino, &
for evidence on social, economic, and behavioral topics. Chalmers, 1999). This led to the inaugural meeting of the
Campbell Collaboration with 85 people from 13 countries in
attendance in Philadelphia in 2000. Involvement of key British
History of the Campbell Collaboration social scientists (including David Farrington and Geraldine
In the late 1990s, Iain Chalmers, a cofounder of the Cochrane Macdonald) and prominent American social work scholars
Collaboration, began to explore the development of a group (such as John Schuerman and Eileen Gambrill) and
8 Research on Social Work Practice 28(1)

methodologists (Betsy Becker, Michael Borenstein, Larry Campbell) became involved in the production of plain lan-
Hedges, Hannah Rothstein, Will Shadish, and others) gener- guage summaries of Campbell reviews for consumers. This
ated great enthusiasm and high hopes for the Campbell Colla- so-called Users Group was reorganized and renamed in 2014,
boration (Davies & Boruch, 2001). under the leadership of Robyn Mildon and the late John West-
In 2001, the Campbell Collaboration was formally regis- brook. The new Knowledge Transfer and Implementation
tered as a nonprofit foundation in the Commonwealth of Penn- (KTI) CG has a broader mandate that includes the production
sylvania (United States). The new Campbell Collaboration had of SRs on topics related to KTI, along with the production of
a small Corporate Board and an International Steering Group, some plain language summaries. John Westbrook has been
comprised of representatives of its Coordinating Groups (CGs) succeeded by Cindi Cai of AIR.
in crime and justice, education, methods, and social welfare. An International Development Coordinating Group (IDCG)
These CGs would oversee the production of Campbell SRs in joined the Campbell Collaboration in 2012. Initially led by
their substantive areas or, in the case of the methods group, Howard White and Peter Tugwell, the IDCG is supported by
develop empirical methods and policies to guide Campbell the International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie) with
reviews. Early funding was obtained from the Smith Richard- staff in New Delhi, London, and Washington, DC. The IDCG
son Foundation. has produced Campbell SRs on a range of topics on social care,
Dorothy de Moya became the first executive director of the economic development, nutrition, agriculture, and environ-
Campbell Collaboration. Based in Philadelphia, Dr. de Moya mental issues in low- and middle-income countries. Together,
organized annual colloquia, biannual Steering Group meetings, 3ie and IDCG played an important role in the adoption of SRs
and online publishing of Campbell reviews. To this day, Camp- in the field of international development. 3ie also organized
bell colloquia bring hundreds of people together every year, major international conferences in Cairo (2009), Cuernavaca
usually in North America or Europe, to discuss issues, results, (2011), and Manila (2014), which promoted rigorous evidence
and unmet needs for research synthesis. and SRs, as well as a mini-colloquium on SRs in Dhaka (2012).
Early efforts to develop an electronic register of controlled The Campbell CGs elect their own cochairs, who serve
trials in the social, psychological, education, and criminologi- time-limited terms. Each CG also has an editorial staff (editors,
cal sectors (Petrosino, Boruch, Rounding, McDonald, & Chal- associate editors, and managing editors). For CGs to be suc-
mers, 2000) were not sustained, given a lack of resources to cessful, cochairs must combine the authority in their respective
support this activity and growing interest in including rigorous field with a firm understanding, and preferably experience, of
quasi-experimental studies in Campbell reviews. evidence synthesis. Editors are appointed by CGs and approved
In 2005, Campbell entered into a 2-year agreement with the by the editor in chief.
American Institutes for Research (AIR) and moved its head- The Education CG produces reviews on diverse issues in
quarters to AIR offices in Washington, DC. Phil Davies was early childhood, elementary, secondary, and postsecondary
named the new executive director of the Campbell Collabora- education; topics include academic programs, teacher qualifi-
tion. AIR provided Campbell with much-needed infrastructure cations, testing, and a wide variety of school-based interven-
and support, and Davies created new opportunities for Camp- tions. Leaders of the Education CG have been actively involved
bell to engage with policy makers in the United States, United in professional, policy, and scholarly work in a number of
Kingdom, and elsewhere. However, the end of this relationship countries.
marked a potentially difficult time for Campbell. The Crime and Justice CG produces SRs on policing, law
Fortunately, with new funding from the Norwegian Ministry enforcement, judicial practices, crime prevention, and so forth.
of Health, Campbell moved its headquarters to Oslo, Norway, The group has a robust international Steering Committee with
in 2007. Steering Group cochair, Arild Bjørndal, established prominent members on several continents and has developed
the offices of the Campbell Secretariat at the Norwegian good relationships with its policy and practice communities,
Knowledge Centre for the Health Services (NOKC or Kunns- especially in policing.
kapssenteret) with a new executive director, Eamonn Noonan. The Social Welfare CG produces reviews on employment
In early 2016, the NOKC was incorporated into the Norwegian and welfare, housing and homelessness, mental health, child
Institute of Public Health. The Campbell Collaboration contin- welfare, family services, and aging. The group has an editorial
ues to receive funding from the Norwegian Ministry of Health, board. It offers an annual award, named for the late Leonard
which supports Campbell’s Oslo staff and some communica- Gibbs, for Campbell reviews that contribute to social welfare
tions and editorial services. policy or practice. The Social Welfare CG has also produced
joint reviews with the Cochrane Developmental, Psychosocial,
and Learning Problems Group, the Cochrane Public Health
Campbell Centers and Groups Group, and others.
At the suggestion of Niels Plough (now at Statistics Denmark), The Methods CG drafts policy briefs and guidelines for
the Danish National Centre for Social Research (SFI) began Campbell reviews, in addition to providing advice on specific
hosting the Nordic Campbell Centre in Copenhagen in 2001. protocols and reviews. It includes an advisory group and sub-
Under the leadership of Merete Konnerup, then Mette Deding, groups responsible for specific methodological topics, such as
and later Lisbeth Pedersen, this center (now called SFI information retrieval, process and implementation issues, and
Littell and White 9

statistics. There are also joint Cochrane–Campbell methods analysis, and interpreting the practical significance of results
groups covering equity issues and economic methods. The of meta-analysis.
Campbell training group, which began as a Methods sub- Campbell offers in-person training in SR methods at annual
group, has been reconstituted as its own CG under the new colloquia and conferences. Campbell officers have conducted
Campbell strategy. workshops and organized interest groups at sector-specific con-
ferences, such as the Society for Social Work and Research and
the American Educational Research Association.
Evolution of Research Synthesis Methods
Methods of research synthesis evolved over the past century,
with rapid advances in SR and meta-analytic techniques in the
Process and Production of Campbell SRs
last two decades. Contrary to popular misconceptions, SR The development of a Campbell SR begins with identification
methods and meta-analysis originated in the social sciences: of a relevant and researchable topic. Often the impetus for a
in psychology and education, not in medicine. Over time, these Campbell review comes from researchers who are curious
methods have appeared in virtually all disciplines, including about trends across studies or are aware of conflicting evi-
astronomy, economics, business studies, environmental dence and seek to better understand or resolve controversies
sciences, evolutionary biology, and physics (Chalmers, in a field of practice. Increasingly, the impetus for SRs comes
Hedges, & Cooper, 2002; Petticrew & Roberts, 2006). from policy makers and practitioners seeking answers to
In recent years, statisticians and methodologists have taken pressing questions about populations, problems, programs,
the lead in the development of new research synthesis methods, policies, or practices.
such as network meta-analysis for assessing the comparative The first formal step in a Campbell SR is the production of a
effectiveness of multiple interventions (Salanti, 2012; Wilson, Title Registration Form (TRF), in which authors describe the
Tanner-Smith, & Mavridis, 2016) and methods to include mul- nature and scope of the issue(s) to be addressed in the proposed
tiple, dependent outcome measures in meta-analysis (Hedges, review. The TRF summarizes authors’ initial thoughts on the
Tipton, & Johnson, 2010). Information scientists have contrib- population(s) or problem(s), interventions, comparisons, and
uted to our understanding of effective and efficient ways to outcomes of interest (the PICO) in the review, along with a
identify relevant published and unpublished studies (Hammer- statement of authors’ potential conflicts of interest. The TRF is
strøm, Wade, Hanz, & Jørgensen, 2009) and computer scien- submitted to the managing editor of a Campbell CG, where it
tists pioneered the use of data mining and machine learning undergoes an internal evaluation. At this stage, CGs are inter-
techniques to screen and code study documents (Thomas, ested in the proposed scope of the review and the composition
McNaught, & Ananiadou, 2011; Wallace, Trikalinos, Lau, of the SR team. Multiple authors are needed to cover the sub-
Brodley, & Schmid, 2010). Others have focused on developing stantive and methodological knowledge and skills required to
methods for synthesizing results of qualitative studies or inte- complete a SR. When accepted by the relevant CG editor, the
grating findings from qualitative and quantitative research TRF is published in the Campbell Library as an open access
(e.g., Petticrew et al., 2013). document.
Despite these impressive advances, the use of current Authors then complete a full protocol for their Campbell
research synthesis methods lags behind applications of tradi- review, following detailed guidelines available on the Camp-
tional, nonsystematic approaches. Nonsystematic reviews still bell website, including the methodological expectations for
make up the bulk of published reviews in the social sciences Campbell reviews, covering both the conduct and reporting
(Littell, 2016) and in medicine (Bastain et al., 2010). For exam- of reviews (Campbell Collaboration Steering Group, 2016a,
ple, in economics, the main journal devoted to reviews, The 2016b). Using a standard template, the protocol lays out in
Journal of Economic Literature, retains the traditional model detail how the review will be conducted (Campbell Collabora-
of narrative literature reviews by leading scholars. tion Steering Group, 2014). Protocols usually go through an
To promote the use of rigorous research synthesis methods, internal editorial assessment before they are sent to external
the Campbell Collaboration has published guidelines and stan- peer reviewers, including both substantive and methodological
dards for SRs. The Campbell Collaboration also offers training experts. Accepted protocols are published in the open access
for researchers interested in producing SRs. Campbell has pro- Campbell Library.
duced two sets of training videos that are freely available on the Full reports for completed Campbell SRs go through the
Campbell website (Polanin & Pigott, 2013). The introductory same internal and external editorial processes used for proto-
series covers problem formulation, literature searching, coding cols, usually with the same set of experts who were involved in
and data extraction, basic effect size calculations, and basic assessing the protocol for the review. Comparisons are made
meta-analysis. The advanced series covers more complex between the protocol and completed review, and editorial staff
effect size calculations, moderator analysis (both categorical assess the extent to which completed reports meet Campbell
models and meta-regression), fixed versus random effects standards. Once accepted, the full report is published in the
models, cluster adjustments in computing effect sizes, using Campbell Library, along with a plain language summary.
robust standard errors for dependent effect sizes, measuring Authors retain the right to publish other versions of their review
and assessing study quality, graphical displays in meta- in journals and other outlets.
10 Research on Social Work Practice 28(1)

Campbell has a “fast track” for SRs that are expected to generating policy-relevant reviews, CEO Howard White and
meet funders’ time schedules. Fast-tracked reviews involve colleagues developed a new strategy for the Campbell Colla-
agree-upon tasks and time lines, with increased coordination boration. This involves building the evidence base, improving
of steps in the editorial process. research synthesis methods, supporting the use of evidence,
It is possible for authors to register Campbell reviews in increasing capacity to produce high-quality reviews, and build-
more than one CG or to coregister a review in Campbell and ing and sustaining a strong institutional base and collaborative
Cochrane simultaneously. In these cases, a coordinated editor- network (Campbell Collaboration, 2016). To build the Camp-
ial process is developed to meet the needs of authors and mul- bell Library, we aim to increase the editorial capacity of each of
tiple groups. the CGs and develop new CGs on topics such as disabilities,
food security, and management and business. In the future, we
expect that the Campbell Collaboration will produce a wider
Recent Developments and Next Steps array of evidence synthesis products, to identify current gaps in
In 2015, following an international search, the Campbell knowledge, improve synthesis methods, broaden applications,
Steering Group hired Howard White as chief executive offi- and improve understanding and use of synthesized evidence.
cer (CEO). Dr. White obtained new funding for the work of Campbell has developed strategic partnerships with a num-
the Campbell Collaboration from the Hewlett Foundation ber of other organizations including Cochrane, the Norwegian
and the AIR. Institute of Public Health, the EPPI Centre, 3ie, Joanna Briggs
The Campbell Steering Group then embarked on a year- Institute, the Global Evidence Synthesis Initiative, and Evi-
long process of governance reform, culminating in May 2016 dence Synthesis International (ESI). In addition, Campbell is
in the appointment of a new board of directors, the creation of moving to develop more regional and national centers. In 2016,
an annual members’ conference, and the formal dissolution of a UK Campbell Center was established at Queen’s University
the Steering Group. The Steering Group had been in internal Belfast.
governance body, comprised of representatives of each of the Campbell colloquia have been expanded to include larger
CGs. The Steering Group unanimously agreed that Campbell gatherings coordinated with partner organizations. The Camp-
needed an external board comprised of individuals with more bell Collaboration organized the first What Works Global Sum-
diverse skill sets. The new board includes one elected repre- mit in London in September 2016, along with 3ie, Sense About
sentative of all of the Campbell CGs, one elected representa- Science, and the Centre for Evidence and Social Innovation at
tive of all major sponsors, and five members at large, selected Queen’s University Belfast. Along with Cochrane and others
for their expertise. (Joanna Briggs Institute, Guidelines International Network, and
The first meeting of the new board in September 2016 the International Society for Evidence Based Health Care),
provided an opportunity to review the history and develop- Campbell is planning the first Global Evidence Summit in
ment of the Campbell Collaboration to date. Looking back, it Cape Town (South Africa) in September 2017 (see http://
was clear that Campbell has consistently produced high- www.globalevidencesummit.org/).
quality SRs, but has not yet reached the potential that Iain Finally, Campbell is an active participant in global advo-
Chalmers and others envisioned for the Campbell Collabora- cacy and funding for research synthesis activities, along with
tion at the end of the last century. The Campbell Library is not its ESI partners. As Iain Chalmers has said, “We need to get the
yet as comprehensive or up to date as we would like it to be. public and politicians angry about changes made on the basis of
Many topics that are relevant for policy and practice are not inadequate evidence” (Chalmers, quoted in Goudie, 2015).
yet covered in the Campbell Library, and some older Camp- And we need to develop and strengthen the evidence base for
bell reviews need to be updated to include more recent stud- social, behavioral, and economic interventions.
ies. Further, we have not yet captured the impact of Campbell Individuals and organizations play many roles in the Camp-
reviews on policy and practice. bell Collaboration: suggesting, funding, or coauthoring Camp-
Why has Campbell not yet reached its potential? Some bell SRs; lending expertise and advice as peer reviewers or
observers have speculated that, unlike health-care workers, members of an advisory or editorial group; attending or hosting
many social service professionals (social workers, educators, workshops and meetings; organizing interest groups or centers;
law enforcement officials, and others) do not think their work and helping others learn how to conduct, assess, and use evi-
has strong scientific foundations and, therefore, do not routi- dence synthesis wisely.
nely seek research or reviews that can inform their practice and We hope that this special issue of Research on Social Work
policy. While health-care professionals at all levels have fueled Practice will increase awareness of, and interest in, the Camp-
and sustained interest in Cochrane SRs since the early 1990s, bell Collaboration and encourage people to take up the work
the demand for SRs in social services has been less consistent. and the roles we have described.
Further, funding for research and reviews on topics related to
social, education, and economic issues has lagged behind fund- Acknowledgment
ing for reviews on health issues. We thank Arild Bjørndal, Iain Chalmers, Brandy Maynard, Anthony
To raise the profile of SRs in social policy, expand the Petrosino, and Haluk Soydan for their comments on an earlier version
Campbell Library, and develop a demand-driven approach to of this article.
Littell and White 11

Declaration of Conflicting Interests Davies, P., & Boruch, R. (2001). The Campbell collaboration does for
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to public policy what Cochrane does for health. British Medical Jour-
the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. nal, 323, 294–295.
Davies, P., Petrosino, A., & Chalmers, I. (1999). The effects of
social and educational interventions: Developing an infrastruc-
Funding ture for international collaboration to prepare, maintain and
The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, promote the accessibility of systematic reviews of relevant
and/or publication of this article. research. London, England: School of Public Policy, University
College London.
Goudie, S. (2015). Reflections on the origins of the Campbell Colla-
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