{
  "abstract": "Objective To clarify the perspectives of different interest-holders on the definition of ‘evidence’.Design and setting This qualitative study employed purposeful sampling to select respondents from various disciplines and fields worldwide for semistructured interviews. The initial draft of the interview guide was developed based on a scoping review of definitions of ‘evidence’ and relevant documents. A pilot test was conducted to refine the interview guide. Interviews were conducted both online and in person until data saturation was achieved. Interview transcripts were analysed in NVivo V.12 using thematic analysis, which involved generating initial codes, searching for and reviewing themes and agreeing on the final set of themes.Results Interviews were conducted with 25 interest-holders from 16 countries, including policymakers, researchers, journal editors, clinicians and representatives of patients and the public. Findings show that most respondents believe there is a lack of clear, precise definitions of evidence and that the term is used variably and informally. Although respondents identified multiple barriers to establishing a standardised definition, some questioned whether a new definition is necessary, argued that existing definitions are sufficient or noted the practical difficulties of developing one. Moreover, views differed on which interest-holders should be involved and considered in developing such a definition. Based on these discussions, 13 of the 25 respondents explicitly provided personal definitions of ‘evidence’ for users’ reference.Conclusions The unclear definitions of evidence and their inconsistent usage not only lead researchers to misunderstand and overuse the term but also contribute to the misuse or mistrust of evidence by users, especially patients and the public, and even to criticism of evidence-based practice. We urge users to consult existing definitions of the term ‘evidence’ before employing it, to ensure standardised and accurate usage. If no accepted definition is available, we recommend clearly defining the term prior to use, so that users can accurately comprehend its meaning.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Research Unit of Evidence-Based Evaluation and Guidelines, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2021RU017), Lanzhou University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu, China",
        "Vincent V.C. Woo Chinese Medicine Clinical Research Institute, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China",
        "Chinese EQUATOR Centre, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China"
      ],
      "name": "Xuan Yu"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Research Unit of Evidence-Based Evaluation and Guidelines, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2021RU017), Lanzhou University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu, China",
        "Institute of Global Health, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland"
      ],
      "name": "Janne Estill"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "INSERM, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France"
      ],
      "name": "Karen Spruyt"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "The Center for Evidence Synthesis, Support, and Development in Africa (CESDA), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia",
        "Ethiopian Knowledge Translation Center for Health: The JBI Center of Excellence, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia"
      ],
      "name": "Yoseph G Abraha"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) Chandigarh, Chandigarh, India"
      ],
      "name": "Joseph L Mathew"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA",
        "Real World Solutions, IQVIA Solutions Enterprise Management Consulting Shanghai Co Ltd, Shanghai, China"
      ],
      "name": "Xiaoting Shi"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Health Evidence Synthesis, Recommendations and Impact (HESRI), School of Public Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia"
      ],
      "name": "Zachary Munn"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Institute for Health Services and Health System Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, Brandenburg Medical School (Theodor Fontane), Rüdersdorf, Germany"
      ],
      "name": "Dawid Pieper"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Breast and Thyroid Center, Jyoban Hospital of Tokiwa Foundation, Iwaki, Fukushima, Japan"
      ],
      "name": "Akihiko Ozaki"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Vincent V.C. Woo Chinese Medicine Clinical Research Institute, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China",
        "Chinese EQUATOR Centre, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China"
      ],
      "name": "Yanfang Ma"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Vincent V.C. Woo Chinese Medicine Clinical Research Institute, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China",
        "Chinese EQUATOR Centre, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China",
        "The Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China"
      ],
      "name": "Zhaoxiang Bian"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Research Unit of Evidence-Based Evaluation and Guidelines, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2021RU017), Lanzhou University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu, China",
        "Vincent V.C. Woo Chinese Medicine Clinical Research Institute, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China"
      ],
      "name": "Yaolong Chen"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Perspectives on the definition of ‘evidence’: a qualitative interview study among interest-holders",
  "uid": "a5dfc24e-f4ef-5a7a-a519-6376c35f439e"
}