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Table 1 Study phases and methods used in Australia/NZ HIA effectiveness study, 2005-2009

From: What makes health impact assessments successful? Factors contributing to effectiveness in Australia and New Zealand

Phase 1 (n = 55 HIAs)

Identification and review: 55 Australian and NZ HIAs conducted during the period 2005–2009 were identified, characterised and reviewed using a validated review package [34] to determine the quality of the HIA reports [11].

Phase 2 (n = 48 HIAs)

Survey and interviews: Information was collected from the practitioners who conducted the HIAs, using a 29 item questionnaire and follow up interviews [11]. The questionnaire included a mix of open and closed questions that focused on their experiences and views on three aspects of their HIAs: process, context and decision making. We obtained completed questionnaires that covered 48 (87 %) of the 55 HIAs. We carried out 34 follow-up interviews, which covered 42 HIAs.

Phase 3 (n = 11 HIAs)

Case studies: Meta-evaluation of 11 case studies involving key informant interviews (n = 33) and document analysis. This allowed for developing a more in-depth understanding of HIA processes, studying complex systems and identifying contextual factors. We interviewed on average three people from each case study.

Phase 4

Integrative evaluation: The research team (n = 12 persons) carried out final analysis and evaluation of the research data over a three-day meeting followed by stakeholder validation workshop (n = 77 persons). This included triangulating the data from phases 1–3 to identify convergence, corroboration and correspondence of results from different methods and sources [35].