Paper short abstract:

This is a case study of being an anthropologist working in the field of qualitative evidence synthesis for decision-making. How can we meet the needs of evidence synthesizers in terms of transparency, detail, context and reflexivity while maintaining the creative edge of ethnographic writing?

Paper long abstract:

This is a case study of being an anthropologist working in the field of qualitative evidence synthesis for decision-making. Decision makers in organizations and governments are increasingly interested in the questions anthropologists dedicate themselves to, and the qualitative methodologies they use to explore them. Questions of equality and equity, tradition and change, embodiment and culturally-mediated perception, and subjective and relational experience, are all of interest to decision makers implementing change, whether for preventive healthcare or environmental management. Ethnography is, perhaps to our own surprise, highly regarded by decision makers who recognize and value its depth and breadth as well as its ability to go beyond the descriptive into the realm of interpretation and explanation. I entered this new world of evidence synthesis, unexpectedly, while conducting ethnographic research in Uruguay and South Africa. The timing made me think in a different way about my written work, and how publications might be used for action. However, I have had few opportunities to engage with my disciplinary colleagues around this topic. In this presentation I give some background on the popularity of systematic reviews of qualitative research and how we can optimize the chances of our research being found, fairly assessed and interpreted, and ultimately used in systematic reviews to inform decision-making. I would like us to think in particular about how we can meet the needs of evidence synthesizers in terms of transparency, detail, context and reflexivity while maintaining the creative edge and rich heterogeneity of ethnographic writing. Watch presentation here: https://vimeo.com/440250908