“What works to reduce crime?” is a crucial question for justice policymakers. But a single research study, even one that uses the highest quality methods and design, cannot tell us the answer. Traditional literature reviews can be constructed to support a certain viewpoint or focus on published studies that may report more favorable results.

Systematic reviews are different. 

They summarize the best available evidence on a specific intervention or policy using:

•  transparent, comprehensive search strategies that identify published and unpublished research
• explicit criteria for including comparable studies
• systematic coding and analysis
• quantitative methods for producing an overall indicator of effectiveness, where appropriate.

CEBCP’s Systematic Reviews Research Program works closely with the Campbell Collaboration Crime and Justice Group, an international network of scholars dedicated to producing and

disseminating systematic reviews, to produce high quality reviews and improve methods of research synthesis. CEBCP team members David Weisburd, Charlotte Gill, and David Wilson all serve on the Campbell Collaboration Crime and Justice Group Steering Committee (David Wilson is the co-chair and editor, Charlotte Gill is co-editor, and David Weisburd is a former co-chair).

See systematic reviews completed by our team members and affiliates at our Current and Completed Projects page.