Systematic Reviews and Policy Transfer for Scotland
There has been limited use of systematic reviews to inform policy in the Scottish Government to date. Instead there has been heavy reliance on evaluating single policies ? in the first two terms of devolved government over 150 separate evaluations were commissioned to inform policy learning. Over the same period fewer than 20 systematic (or quasi-systematic) reviews were commissioned and virtually all of these were in the health field focusing particularly on effective interventions with smoking, drugs and alcohol. This brochure examines: ? what systematic reviews can do for policy ? the difficulties of using research in policymaking ? key features of the systematic review process ? systematic review products, and ? the limitations of systematic reviews
