A number of studies show that researchers, research funders, regulators, sponsors and publishers of research fail to use earlier research when preparing to start, fund, regulate, sponsor or publish the results of new studies. To embark on research without systematically reviewing the evidence of what is already known, particularly when the research involves people or animals, is unethical, unscientific, and wasteful.
To address this problem a group of Norwegian and Danish researchers initiated an international network, the ‘Evidence-Based Research Network’. The EBRNetwork was established in Bergen, Norway in December 2014 with initial partners from Australia, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, the UK, and USA.
The aim of the EBRNetwork is to reduce waste in research by promoting:
No new studies without prior systematic review of existing evidence
Efficient production, updating and dissemination of systematic reviews
For a brief introduction to the concept of Evidence-Based Research see the following blog post by Hans Lund.