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- Home
- Repositories
  - The Registry of Methods and Tools for Evidence-Informed Decision Making
  - Methods and Tools for Organizational Change
  - Health Evidence™
  - Repository of Public Health Evidence Syntheses
- Training
  - Videos
  - Evidence-Informed Decision-Making Competence Measure
  - Learning Needs Assessment for Evidence-Informed Decision Making
  - Online Learning Modules
  - Webinars
  - Workshops
  - Knowledge Broker Virtual Office Hours
- Tools
  - Evidence-Informed Decision Making in Public Health
  - 6S Search Pyramid
  - Anatomy of a Systematic Review
  - Rapid Review Guidebook
  - EvSyS: The Evidence Synthesis Selection Tool for Decision Makers
  - Algorithm for Classifying the Study Design of Primary Studies
  - Quality Assessment of Community Evidence (QACE) Tools
  - Resource Planning and Assessment (RPA) Tool
  - Assessing Applicability and Transferability of Evidence Tool (A&T Tool)
  - Mental Health Resources for Healthcare Workers
- Rapid Evidence Service
- Impact
  - Evidence-Informed Decision Making Casebook
  - Impact of the Knowledge Broker Mentoring Program
  - Why It Matters
  - NCCMT Publications
  - User Stories
  - Outreach
  - KT Student Awards
- About Us
  - About the NCCMT
  - Our Funder
  - Our Host Institution
  - The National Collaborating Centres
  - Team Members
  - Advisory Board Members
  - Students
  - COVID-19 Evidence Network to support Decision-making (COVID-END)
  - Contact Us

The Harvest Plot: A Method for Synthesizing Evidence About the Differential Effects of Interventions

Ogilvie, D., Fayter, D., Petticrew, M., Sowden, A., Thomas, S., Whitehead, M. & Worthy, G. (2008). The harvest plot: A method for synthesizing evidence about the differential effects of interventions. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 8(8). https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2288-8-8

Journal article

Description

This method provides a practical guide to understanding when it is appropriate to use a harvest plot and how to develop one. The method uses a case example to illustrate the strengths and limitations of this particular data visualization

Steps for Using Method/Tool

The method guides users through four steps for developing a harvest plot:

Define the hypothesis to be tested.
Allocate each study to the best supported hypothesis.
Plot the distribution of evidence.
Write a narrative synthesis to interpret the harvest plot.

These summaries are written by the NCCMT to condense and to provide an overview of the resources listed in the Registry of Methods and Tools and to give suggestions for their use in a public health context. For more information on individual methods and tools included in the review, please consult the authors/developers of the original resources.

We have provided the resources and links as a convenience and for informational purposes only; they do not constitute an endorsement or an approval by McMaster University of any of the products, services or opinions of the external organizations, nor have the external organizations endorsed their resources and links as provided by McMaster University. McMaster University bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality or content of the external sites.