C2 Frequently Asked Questions

Prepare and maintain systematic reviews of studies of the effects of policies and practices:

In education, and the social and behavioral sectors
Are useful to people in policy, professions, research, and public participants
Are developed by international review groups
Use standards for quality of evidence that are transparent and criticizable
Rely on a world wide web-based system and on conventional media for dissemination and periodic updating
Focus on randomized field trials first and on high quality nonrandomized field trials second

International interest in evidence-based policy and reviews
In-country interest in evidence based policy and reviews
International and in-country interest in randomized trials
Historical growth in RFTs
Precedent in the health sector: Cochrane Collaboration
International Meetings on evidence-based policy, randomized trials, and improving quality of evidence include:
- University of Durham (1999) & St Andrews University (1997): England, Scotland, New Zealand, U.S.
- University of Bielefeld Center for Interdisciplinary Studies and University of Bremen (1998): Germany, U.S., Switzerland, Israel, Canada
- University of Tokyo (1999): Japan (host) and United States
- Swedish Center for Social Work Research (1998): Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, U.S.
In-country meetings and reports on the quality of evidence, including or especially RFTs in the U.S. include:
- Harvard University Provost Seminar Series (12/98)
- American Academy of Arts & Sciences Meetings on randomized trials in Education (5/99)
- Rand, CPRE, others (1999)
- University of Maryland Report to the U.S. Congress on Crime Programs (1998)
- American Institutes for Research Report on Effects of Comprehensive School Reform Programs (1999)

Anyone who is interested, trustworthy, willing to dedicate time,
- In the U.S., by people at Universities, e.g., Penn, Harvard, and agencies, e.g., RI
- In the U. S., by private foundation people at Smith Richardson, Pew, others
- In the U.S., by agencies USDE, and others
- In the U.K., by people at Universities such as Oxford
- In the U.K., by agencies such as ESRC, DfEE, others
- In Sweden, by colleagues at the Center for Evaluation of Social Services, others
- Internationally, by Cochrane Collaboration colleagues
The 1999 London Planning Meeting on the Collaboration involved 80 people from five countries.
- Each participant was asked to make a pledge about what they could or would contribute. All made pledges. No public objections.
- Linkage to Cochrane Collaboration created.
- General organization was approved.

The organization involves:

C2 Steering Group that is international and is responsible for policy
C2 Coordinating Centers in each country, sometimes more than one, coordinate within county and cross-country activity
C2 Review Groups oversee preparation and maintenance of systematic reviews of studies of effects
C2 Methods Groups focus on cross-cutting evidence related issues

October 1998: Visit from Iain Chalmers of the Cochrane Collaboration
February, 1999-April, 1999, Reconnaissance by Chalmers (U.K.), Boruch (U.S.), others
March, April 1999: Proposal for reconnaissance to USDE
May, 1999: Vetting the idea at the American Academy or Arts & Sciences (Cambridge) and Provost’s Seminar Series (Harvard University)
July, 1999: Vetting the idea at the University of Durham Conference on Evidence-based Policy
July, 1999: Vetting idea at the London Planning Meeting for Campbell Collaboration
August, 1999: Proposals to Smith Richardson Foundation (U.S.), Economic and Social Research Council (U.K.), Department for Education & Employment (U.K.)

The products of the Campbell Collaboration will include:

Systematic reviews of studies of effectiveness that are easily accessible, based on transparent standards, and criticizable
Libraries/data bases of:
- Systematic reviews & meta-analyses
- Bibliographies on randomized trials and nonrandomized trials
Perhaps, libraries/data bases on:
- Original study micro-records
- Original study unpublished reports
Methodological research on the preparation and maintenance of systematic reviews
Better information for the public on what works, based on high quality evidence

The Campbell Collaboration