Wallingford, UK, 8 December 2025 – 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.”


About the Primer on Evidence Synthesis

Primer on Evidence Synthesis is a free, certified, online course offering a foundation for anyone looking to engage with or commission evidence synthesis.

About the Evidence Synthesis Skills Framework

The Evidence Synthesis Skills Framework is designed for institutions and individuals working within Evidence Synthesis. It helps standardize language, support career development, and aids the creation of training programmes primarily within the Agrifoods sector. It is free to download and can also be used to find relevant courses.

The Evidence Synthesis Skills Framework has been developed with the support and advice of many individuals and organizations. Thank you to all our contributors, especially the core team of developers, Emma J. Dennett, Linda Errington, Mark Berthelemy and Sini Savilaakso. Meet our contributors.

About CABI

CABI is a unique, inter-governmental, not-for-profit scientific research and publishing organization, supported by 48 member countries. Its mission is to improve people’s lives by providing information and applying scientific expertise to solve problems in agriculture and the environment. A core objective is to increase the impact of science to practically address several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). CABI is a signatory to the UN SDG Publishers Compact and a member of the Association of International Research and Development Centers for Agriculture (AIRCA) and the United States Agricultural Information Network (USAIN).


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