Research Methods

The ICSDP adheres to the highest standards of scientific research. All briefs and reports are prepared by a working group of experts in the field who adhere to the highest standard for systematic reviews, including, where appropriate, the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. 

Since systematic reviews are widely accepted as occupying the top of the pyramid of sources of scientific evidence (see Guyatt et al., JAMA 2000;284:1290-1296) and given the ICSDP’s mission to provide policymakers with the best available scientific evidence, systematic reviews are employed by ICSDP working groups whenever appropriate. Similarly, where appropriate, the design and implementation of the searches is carried out with the aid of an expert in Library and Information Science to ensure adherence to appropriate methodologies for systematic reviews of existing literature. Systematic reviews are externally peer-reviewed by scientists outside the ICSDP working group.