The EPPI Centre is a specialist centre for: (i) developing methods for systematic reviewing and synthesis of research evidence; and (ii) developing methods for the study of the use research.
We have very close links with the main international collaborations in synthesis methods and we are partners or undertake other work with many of the UK government what works centres. We are interested in complexity and mixed methods reviews to understand research relevant to decision making as well as methods for how that research is used in practice. We see research as both a crucially important form of academic enquiry and as an important resource for use in society.
As well as being directly involved in research synthesis and research use, we provide two MSc programmes and many short courses in research synthesis and social policy and research. We also produce many publications on research synthesis and research use.
Our work in research synthesis and research use is across many areas of social policy including education, health, social care, developing economies, sport, environment, and crime.
The EPPI Centre is based in the Social Science Research Unit in the UCL Social Research Institute (formerly the Department of Social Science), UCL Institute of Education, University College London. The work of the Centre started in 1993, the name ‘EPI-Centre’ was used from 1995 and was then changed to ‘EPPI-Centre’ from 2001. From 2022 we dropped the hyphen, and now use the current name of ‘EPPI Centre’.