Relevant systematic reviews and impact evaluations were systematically sought and described in order to assess the size and nature of the evidence-base about the effectiveness of interventions for smallholder farmers in Africa. A total of 21 relevant systematic reviews and 415 reports of impact...

In 2005, in recognition of the role of social factors in increasing health inequities, the World Health Organisation established the Commission on the Social Determinants of Health. South Africa is among the most unequal societies in the world. It faces serious public health challenges,...

Accompanying the call for increased evidence-based policy the developed world is implementing more longitudinal panel studies which periodically gather information about the same people over a number of years. Panel studies distinguish between transitory and persistent states (e.g. poverty,...

<italic>This paper presents a methodology that is increasingly being adopted in international development, namely systematic review. It starts from the premise that rigorous and structured systematic reviews of research evidence have the potential to 'change the world' by providing accurate...</italic>

The importance of systematic review evidence in the design and implementation of policies and interventions is increasingly recognised in the field of international development. This article presents a stocktake of the primary years of systematic reviewing in international development, providing...

In the developed world the importance of evidence-based policy is increasingly recognised. Panel studies – a long-term study design where a cross-sectional sample of units is selected and surveyed at regular intervals – are being used to gather information about the same people or...