The Four Sources of Evidence in Evidence-Based Practice

Covering Assessment Criterion 1.1 of 3CO02 Principles of Analytics, this video focuses on the four distinct sources of evidence that together form evidence-based practice: scientific evidence, organisational evidence, practitioner expertise, and stakeholder perspectives. Rather than treating these as abstract categories, the video addresses what each source draws upon — from peer-reviewed academic journals, systematic reviews and meta-analyses through to internal organisational data such as employee surveys, absence statistics and turnover metrics. The role of CIPD research in translating academic findings for people professionals is also acknowledged as part of the discussion on scientific evidence.

Alongside naming the sources, the video addresses the strengths and limitations of each. Scientific evidence is examined with attention to how contextual differences — such as those between large American technology companies and a small UK charity — affect whether research findings transfer to a given situation. Organisational data is considered in terms of how it may be incomplete or subject to collection bias, and practitioner expertise is discussed alongside the cognitive biases that can affect professional judgement and memory. Stakeholder perspectives, gathered through focus groups, formal consultation exercises and informal conversations, are treated with equivalent critical scrutiny, including how vested interests can colour the views of employees, managers, union representatives and senior leaders.

The video frames evidence-based practice as a process of triangulating across all four sources rather than privileging any one of them, and it draws a clear connection between this multi-source approach and the making of principle-led judgements within an organisational context. The interplay between critical evaluation and professional objectivity runs throughout, making the relationship between evidence-gathering and sound HR decision-making a central concern of the video's coverage of AC 1.1.