A leading proponent of evidence-based practice, architect D. Kirk Hamilton details 4 levels of such a practice, each level representing an increasingly rigorous stage of commitment and methods (see Figure 1).

There is an implicit assumption in Hamilton’s model that level one activity—reading the material to stay current on emerging research—is the easiest.  But it can be most challenging.  Research can offer complex and sometimes contradictory insights, demanding comparison, criticism, evaluative judgment and synthesis beyond simply reading a series of articles.  Most professionals can hardly keep abreast of new research developments.

The Stardust Center for Affordable Homes and the Family is a new community design and research center at Arizona State University whose mission is to serve the needs of organizations, neighborhoods and professionals in creating quality homes in vibrant, sustainable communities.  One undertaking currently under way is the Research Synthesis project.  The methods and procedures for this come from health care, health policy and management professions.  In the scientific community literature, traditional research reviews are a standard practice of summarizing research.  Yet these traditional reviews often lack transparency in how the researchers identified and collected the evidence to include in their publications. And they often lack a use orientation.

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