Understanding the Impacts of Research Synthesis

Wyborn, Carina; Louder, Elena; Harrison, J.; Montambault, Jensen; Montana, Jasper; Ryan, Melanie; Bednarek, Angela T.; Neßhöver, Carsten; Pullin, Andrew S.; Reed, Mark; Dellecker, Emilie; Kramer, Jonathan G.; Boyd, James; Dellecker, Adrian; Hutton, J. M.

doi:10.1016/j.envsci.2018.04.013

Cited by 61 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…Specifically, crop variety evaluation has taken little advantage of the potential benefits of data synthesis. Data synthesis allows the combination of data from different sources, producing new information and knowledge to support decisionmaking (Pillemer and Light 1980;Pickett et al 2007;Carpenter et al 2009;Wyborn et al 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Data synthesis for crop variety evaluation. A review

Brown

Bergh

Bruin

et al. 2020

Agron. Sustain. Dev.

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Crop varieties should fulfill multiple requirements, including agronomic performance and product quality. Variety evaluations depend on data generated from field trials and sensory analyses, performed with different levels of participation from farmers and consumers. Such multi-faceted variety evaluation is expensive and time-consuming; hence, any use of these data should be optimized. Data synthesis can help to take advantage of existing and new data, combining data from different sources and combining it with expert knowledge to produce new information and understanding that supports decision-making. Data synthesis for crop variety evaluation can partly build on extant experiences and methods, but it also requires methodological innovation. We review the elements required to achieve data synthesis for crop variety evaluation, including (1) data types required for crop variety evaluation, (2) main challenges in data management and integration, (3) main global initiatives aiming to solve those challenges, (4) current statistical approaches to combine data for crop variety evaluation and (5) existing data synthesis methods used in evaluation of varieties to combine different datasets from multiple data sources. We conclude that currently available methods have the potential to overcome existing barriers to data synthesis and could set in motion a virtuous cycle that will encourage researchers to share data and collaborate on data-driven research.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Data synthesis for crop variety evaluation. A review

Brown

Bergh

Bruin

et al. 2020

Agron. Sustain. Dev.

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“…Synthesis counterbalances scientific specialization, capitalizes on existing data, and addresses complex problems ( Börner, 2015 ; Hackett et al., 2008 ; Palmer et al., 2016 ). When successful, synthesis draws topics and through them specialties or disciplines together in novel configurations that open new spheres of inquiry and address societal challenges in original and effective ways ( Carpenter et al., 2009 ; Baron et al., 2017 ; Wyborn et al., 2018 ).…”

Section: What Is Synthesis?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Do synthesis centers synthesize? A semantic analysis of topical diversity in research

et al. 2021

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“…Stemler [14] Critical interpretive synthesis Dixon-Woods, [ Other terms for knowledge synthesis include research synthesis, evidence synthesis, and scientific synthesis. Syntheses can integrate current knowledge to inform policy and best practices, as in systematic reviews and meta-analyses, or syntheses can create new knowledge by combining evidence from a wide variety of sources [37]. The latter type of synthesis for new knowledge generation at the source of the flow of scientific information, from theory to practice, is the topic of this perspective article.…”

Section: Content Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Breakthrough Knowledge Synthesis in the Age of Google

Brown

2020

Philosophies

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Epistemology is the main branch of philosophy that studies the nature of knowledge, but how is new knowledge created? In this perspective article, I introduce a novel method of knowledge discovery that synthesizes online findings from current and prior research. This web-based knowledge synthesis method is especially relevant in today’s information technology environment, where the research community has easy access to online interactive tools and an expansive selection of digitized peer-reviewed literature. Based on a grounded theory methodology, the innovative synthesis method presented here can be used to organize, analyze and combine concepts from an intermixed selection of quantitative and qualitative research, inferring an emerging theory or thesis of new knowledge. Novel relationships are formed when synthesizing causal theories—accordingly, this article reviews basic logical principles of associative relationships, mediators and causal pathways inferred in knowledge synthesis. I also provide specific examples from my own knowledge syntheses in the field of epidemiology. The application of this web-based knowledge synthesis method, and its unique potential to discover breakthrough knowledge, will be of interest to researchers in other areas, such as education, health, humanities, and the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.

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Understanding the Impacts of Research Synthesis

Cited by 61 publications

References 46 publications

Data synthesis for crop variety evaluation. A review

Data synthesis for crop variety evaluation. A review

Do synthesis centers synthesize? A semantic analysis of topical diversity in research

Breakthrough Knowledge Synthesis in the Age of Google

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