Aims and Scope
Research Synthesis Methods is a multidisciplinary peer-reviewed journal devoted to the development and dissemination of methods for designing, conducting, analyzing, interpreting, reporting, and applying systematic research synthesis. It aims to facilitate the creation and exchange of knowledge about research synthesis methods that is of general interest or utility for the many fields and disciplines in which research synthesis is undertaken or used. Research synthesis is common in the health and social sciences and many of the methods explored in this journal will apply directly to these disciplines and to their practitioners. The journal's aim is to cross-fertilize these fields as well as others so as to enrich the methods of research synthesis in all scientific disciplines.
The journal's scope includes all aspects of research synthesis methods irrespective of discipline or area of application. Papers may address statistical methods, empirical research and simulations, literature retrieval and information science, data extraction, software, graphics and reporting of synthesis results, issues of study quality, reporting or other systematic biases, narrative analysis and synthesis of qualitative data, synthesis of individual participant data, use of synthesis for developing practice guidelines, integration with cost effectiveness or decision analysis, comparison and integration of methods across different disciplines, techniques for application in different environments, applications that illustrate a novel methodology, or other such broadly methodological topics pertinent to conducting or using research synthesis.
Papers on topics in fields such as the health and social sciences are welcome if they can also demonstrate relevance to general research synthesis. Papers reporting the results of a particular research synthesis are also not appropriate unless the focus is exclusively on an innovative or instructive methodological feature.
To promote widespread dissemination that will enhance methodological innovation and synthesis practice, the articles in this journal must be accessible to a broad and interdisciplinary audience. Papers should provide sufficient explanatory context for the issue addressed to make its significance apparent, avoid specialized jargon and references that are not defined or described for non-specialists, and discuss the implications and utility for practice of any results or conclusions.
Readership
The journal aims to facilitate the exchange of knowledge about research synthesis methods within and between the many fields and disciplines in which research synthesis is undertaken or used. The target readership is therefore practitioners, users or methodologists of synthesis of research in any scientific discipline in the natural and social sciences.
Open Access
As of 2025, all content accepted in Research Synthesis Methods is published on an open-access basis. There are no financial barriers to publication. All authors accepted for publication in the journal are published open-access, irrespective of their institutional affiliation or funding situation. Many authors have publishing costs supported through Cambridge University Press's Transformative Agreements. A minority of authors without Transformative Agreements but who are supported by grant or institutional funding that budgets for open access are expected to pay an article processing charge (APC). Authors without a Transformative Agreement or funding to pay an APC are granted waivers by Cambridge University Press.
Impact
Articles published by Research Synthesis Methods are often well-cited, as is evident from the journal's Impact Factor and Cite Score. At the article level, the journal provides usage and citation statistics, as well as evidence of non-citation forms of impact via Altmetric such as coverage in news sites, blogs, social media and policy reports. For more information on the journal's current statistics, see the Journal Metrics page.