Leaders, managers, policy and program staff, and practitioners need to feel confident that their decisions are based on the best available evidence. One important aspect of this is knowing what constitutes high-quality research evidence. 

An evidence hierarchy is a useful tool to help decision-makers quickly identify the best available research evidence of ‘what works’ in their field. Evidence hierarchies rank research or evaluation study designs based on the rigor of their research methods. 

This factsheet explains what an evidence hierarchy is and how it can be used to help you search for and appraise research evidence. Links to other useful resources are provided.