Julia H Littell is a Professor at the Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research at Bryn Mawr College (USA). Julia’s scholarly work focuses on applied epistemology, evidence synthesis and uses and misuses of research in policy and practice. She has studied processes and outcomes of complex behavioural and psychosocial interventions for children, youth, and families, using field experiments, secondary analysis of data, qualitative research, systematic reviews, and meta-analysis. ​ Julia is co-author of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (Oxford University Press), Putting Families First: An Experiment in Family Preservation (Aldine de Gruyter) and more than 50 journal articles and book chapters. ​ Julia received the Pro Humanitate Literary Award in 2006 and again in 2009 for her articles on research synthesis and evidence-based practice. In 2015, she received the Olkin Award for distinguished lifetime achievement from the international, interdisciplinary Society for Research Synthesis Methodology. In 2017, she was named a Fellow of the Society for Social Work and Research. She serves on several editorial boards, provides training and technical support for the international Campbell Collaboration, and leads workshops on research synthesis methods.

Aron Shlonsky is Professor of Evidence Informed Practice at the University of Melbourne School of Health Sciences, Department of Social Work. He is also the Chair of the Research Higher Degree Program (Social Work), Director of the Centre for Applied Research on Effective Services at University of Melbourne and Editor of the Campbell Collaboration’s Knowledge Translation and Implementation Coordinating Group. ​ Aron is known internationally for his work in research synthesis, child welfare practice and policy, data analytics and the use of evidence to inform practice and policy. Aron and his colleagues have completed two evidence syntheses for the Royal Commission into Institutional Child Sexual Abuse and were subsequently directly contracted to complete two more: a Cochrane Collaboration systematic review of educational programs for preventing child sexual abuse, and a number of high quality rapid evidence assessments and scoping reviews for a range of Australian governments; and the Keep Them Safe evaluation, the major NSW 2010 child protection reform effort (2015 Australian Evaluation Society Award). ​ Aron has authored and co-authored multiple books and delivered numerous keynotes, lectures and consults around the world. Prior to his academic career, Aron spent several years as a child protective services worker and substance abuse counsellor in Los Angeles.