Volta
Elevating the importance of Risk of Bias assessment for ecology and evolutionary biology
Abstract Systematic reviews and meta‐analyses are key evidence synthesis methods for informing future research, interventions and policy. As the validity of their conclusions depends on the primary studies they synthesise, assessing the internal validity of the included studies is essential. In some fields, such as medicine, this is the norm and is commonly done using Risk of Bias assessment tools. Risk of Bias (RoB) assessment is however rare in ecology and evolutionary biology (EEB) even though several RoB tools have been developed in some ecological subfields and related fields. To identify potential reasons for a limited uptake, we conducted a survey of ecologists and evolutionary biologists with evidence synthesis experience and reviewed 275 journals that publish EEB research for guidelines …