Kelly, Shannon E.2015-10-092015-10-0920152015http://hdl.handle.net/10393/33021http://dx.doi.org/10.20381/ruor-4100‘Rapid review’ is an accelerated evidence synthesis approach that has emerged to meet the needs of knowledge users in healthcare settings who require timely input to support evidence-informed policy and practice questions. Although use of rapid reviews continues to expand, there is a paucity of research on this topic. This thesis addresses three identified knowledge gaps: 1) To address the lack of an established definition for rapid reviews, a modified Delphi process was used to pursue expert consensus on the defining characteristics of rapid reviews and an operational definition; 2) To further our understanding of the prevalent opinions and perceptions towards rapid reviews, a Q methodology was used to characterize the viewpoints of research producers and knowledge users; and, 3) To extend our knowledge on the characteristics, conduct and reporting quality of rapid reviews, compliance with currently accepted checklists (AMSTAR, PRISMA) was explored in a sample of recent rapid reviews.enrapid reviewevidence synthesistime factorsdecision-makingresearch methodologyThesis