With over two million scientific publications appearing each year worldwide, there is an escalating need to access evidence and opinion to inform policy. In response, articles encompassing a breadth of policy and practice, from clinical medicine through to conservation science increasingly adopt an Evidence Synthesis framework. These articles access, appraise and synthesize scientific information and makes them readily available to non-specialists. They are rigorous, objective and transparent and driven by stakeholder needs, enabling the reader to make informed decisions. In an exciting new development, Proceedings of the Royal Society B will be extending its publication portfolio by launching a new article type entitled Evidence synthesis in June 2018, as part of a joint programme by the Academy of Medical Sciences and the Royal Society https://royalsociety.org/topics-policy/projects/evidence-synthesis/. Articles can range from brief review-style papers, through to meta-analysis and full systematic reviews of contentious issues. This editorial will serve to explain the appetite for such articles and the benefits for …