CABI Launches New ‘Evidence Synthesis’ Course

09 December 2025, UK: CABI has launched a new course, Primer on Evidence Synthesis, as part of its free suite of learning resources alongside the Evidence Synthesis Skills Framework. This short course allows people to quickly gain an understanding of the complex world of evidence synthesis, and provides a strong introduction to key terminology and important principles. As well as addressing what evidence synthesis is, the course also explores why it matters for decision making in the agricultural sector.

Developed by evidence synthesis experts of the Juno Evidence Alliance and the CABI Academy team, this four-hour, online course is aimed at those who are new to evidence synthesis or need a rapid initiation into the subject. It is ideal for researchers beginning to work in evidence synthesis teams, policy makers using evidence synthesis to guide decisions, and funders considering whether to commission or support synthesis projects. Using agrifoods as a context, the content can be applied across multiple disciplines.

Policy and practice are increasingly framed by evidence synthesis, so understanding it is critical for strengthening capacity and supporting existing research networks. The course is designed to help people and organizations develop understanding and embed a common language around evidence synthesis and helps to answer questions such as:

• What is evidence synthesis and why is it important?
• What different types of evidence syntheses are there?
• What are reporting standards, and why are they important?
• What makes a good evidence synthesis?

“The role of science is vitally important in the case of agrifood system transformation, which requires solutions that transcend conventional policy boundaries,” commented Andy Robinson, Managing Director of CABI’s Publishing and Knowledge Business. “At the same time, we see exponential growth in scientific articles published each year.”

“High-quality research is the cornerstone of effective decision-making, but making sense of vast amounts of primary research requires evidence synthesis,” noted Sini Savilaakso, Evidence Research Lead, Juno Evidence Alliance. “We built the course to be clear and concise, so that initial exploration of this subject is fast, manageable, and straightforward. I see the need for it almost every day when working with different stakeholders ranging from research commissioners to science communicators.”

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