Summarises the issues faced in undertaking systematic reviews in social care. Based on a feasibility study which involved undertaking systematic reviews in two topic areas (severe mental illness and prevention). Recognises that social care is complext and provides guidance on developing the review question, searching for evidence, appropriate evidence bases, evaluation tools, measuring outcomes and synthesis of evidence. Includes 3 tools to critically appraise quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods study designs. The project was undertaken jointly by the Health Care Practice R&D Unit, University of Salford and the Nuffield Institute for Health, Leeds