|**Methodology**|**Aim/purpose**|**Inclusion**|**Search**|**Critical appraisal**|**Data extraction**|**Analysis**|**Presentation**|**Timeline**|**References**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Rapid**<br>**evidence**<br>**assessment**|To provide a quick review and<br>synthesis of the available evidence<br>to facilitate informed decision-<br>making about the effectiveness of<br>an intervention or policy under time<br>and/or resource constraints;<br>provide a map of evidence in a<br>topic area to identify where there is<br>existing evidence and direct future<br>research; or serve as interim<br>evidence assessment until a more<br>systematic review can be<br>conducted.|IEs and/or SRs<br>(may include<br>other primary<br>studies).|May be more<br>limited than a<br>full systematic<br>search with<br>limitations<br>adopted for<br>years,<br>languages,<br>publication<br>status, search<br>strings, and<br>sources<br>searched.|Limited quality<br>appraisal. The<br>rigor and detail of<br>the quality<br>appraisal may<br>vary.|Might use PICOs.<br>May be limited to a single<br>person screening and<br>extracting data. Data<br>collection may be limited<br>to key results and key<br>data for simple quality<br>assessment.|Simple narrative,<br>descriptive or tabular<br>analysis reporting<br>quantities of literature<br>and overall<br>quality/direction of<br>effect reported in the<br>literature with limited<br>interpretation of the<br>findings|Report: may<br>contain tables.|3 weeks to<br>6 months|<br>Ganann et al.<br>(2009);<br>Khangura et al.<br>(2012),<br>Government<br>Social Research<br>REA Toolkit<br>(2008)|
|**Systematic**<br>**reviews**|To provide a comprehensive,<br>unbiased assessment and<br>synthesis of the available evidence<br>to answer a specific research<br>question.|IEs.<br>For non-<br>effectiveness<br>questions may<br>include other<br>types of<br>evidence.|Comprehensive<br>and systematic<br>search|Rigorous critical<br>appraisal with a<br>comprehensive<br>risk of bias<br>assessment of<br>effectiveness<br>studies.|PICOs, study<br>characteristics, risk of<br>bias/critical appraisal<br>categories and study<br>findings / information<br>necessary to calculate<br>effect sizes. Two people<br>independently screen<br>studies and extract data.|Meta-analysis or<br>narrative / thematic<br>synthesis of findings<br>from all included<br>studies. Additional<br>analysis such as<br>moderator analysis<br>may be conducted.|Report outlining the<br>methodology and<br>findings, using<br>forest plots if<br>possible.|1 to 2<br>years|Cooper et al<br>(2009);Higgins<br>and Greene<br>(2011); Lavis<br>(2009);<br>Waddington et<br>al (2012).|
|**Overviews of**<br>**systematic**<br>**reviews**|To provide users with an<br>accessible overview of SRs<br>available in a particular area<br>summarizing systematic review<br>findings of effects of two or more<br>interventions or systematic review<br>findings addressing the<br>effectiveness of the same<br>intervention on different outcomes|SRs (of<br>intervention<br>effectiveness)|Comprehensive<br>search for<br>systematic<br>reviews,<br>focusing on<br>databases of<br>systematic<br>reviews|Critical appraisal<br>of SRs.|Data from included<br>systematic reviews, in<br>some cases additional<br>data from included<br>studies.*|Summarize results<br>from all included<br>reviews. Additional<br>analysis may be<br>conducted.|Report outlining the<br>methodology and<br>findings.|Not clear|Becker et<br>al.(2011)|
|**Evidence**<br>**policing**<br>**matrix**|To guide the formulation and<br>selection of strategies in policing,<br>develop an agenda for future<br>policing research and serve as a<br>practice-oriented research<br>translation tool that may better<br>facilitate the adoption of evidence-<br>based policing and evidence-<br>based<br>funding.|IEs|Search of key<br>reports, SRs,<br>library<br>databases and<br>websites of<br>professional and<br>government<br>organizations.|Quality appraisal<br>using the<br>Maryland<br>Scientific<br>Methods Scale<br>(SMS).|Key intervention<br>dimensions (specificity of<br>strategy, level of pro-<br>activity of intervention,<br>nature of target),<br>evaluation design and<br>outcome (direction and<br>statistical significance of<br>effect)*|Studies presented<br>visually in a three<br>dimensional matrix<br>based on intervention<br>characteristics. Each<br>study is represented<br>by a dot or triangle,<br>with the shape and<br>color indicating<br>direction of effect and<br>statistical significance.|Visual: a three-<br>dimensional matrix<br>Links to a database<br>with summaries of<br>the included<br>studies.|Not clear|Lum et al.<br>(2011)|

This table captures typical features of the included methodologies. Considerable variation and overlap may exist within and between these methodologies. Timeline information is approximate. SR stands for systematic review. IE stands for impact evaluation. * indicated when it is not clear whether two people independently screen studies for inclusion and extract data.

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