From Evidence to Knowledge to Policy: Research Synthesis for Policy Formation

Wang, Haertel, and Walberg (1993a) conclude by stating, aggregated estimates ... provide one reasonable basis for formulating educational policies .. . We agree that there is a vast amount of evidence-both in the form of empirical studies and in the form of expert opinion-that should be used to inform educational policy decisions. The problem is how to convert such evidence into knowledge and such knowledge into policy. We argue that despite what Wang et al. accomplish, one cannot move from this kind of knowledge base to informed policy decisions. Health science provides one guide for how to make the conversion from evidence to policy.