Understanding Evidence Part 1: Best Available Research Evidence. A Guide to the Continuumof Evidence of Effectiveness - Promising Futures

Increasing emphasis has been placed on the importance of evidence-informed prevention strategies and evidence-based decision making. Definitions of what constitutes “evidence” have been debated, but most agree that evidence is extremely important for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers charged with the task of making decisions around the funding and implementation of violence prevention strategies. In this guidance document, we aim to explain the purpose and meaning of the Continuum of Evidence of Effectiveness, a tool that was developed to facilitate a common understanding of what the Best Available Research Evidence means in the field of violence prevention. This Continuum also serves to provide common language for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers in discussing evidence-based decision making.