Meta-analysis is a quantitative, formal, epidemiological study design used to systematically assess the results of previous research to derive conclusions about that body of research. Typically, but not necessarily, the study is based on randomized, controlled clinical trials.
What is the main purpose of a meta-analysis?
Meta-analysis would be used for the following purposes: To establish statistical significance with studies that have conflicting results. To develop a more correct estimate of effect magnitude. To provide a more complex analysis of harms, safety data, and benefits.
What is meta-analysis and example?
Meta-analysis refers to the statistical analysis of the data from independent primary studies focused on the same question, which aims to generate a quantitative estimate of the studied phenomenon, for example, the effectiveness of the intervention (Gopalakrishnan and Ganeshkumar, 2013).
What is another word for meta-analysis?
This is reflected in the variety of terms and definitions for synonym circumstances, e.g. “meta-analysis”, “systematic review“, “narrative review”, “meta-syntheses”.
What is a meta-analysis simple definition? – Related Questions
Why is it called meta-analysis?
In 1976, one of them, Gene Glass, coined the term ‘meta-analysis’ to refer to ‘the statistical analysis of a large collection of analysis results from individual studies for the purpose of integrating the findings.
How do you perform a meta-analysis?
Eight steps in conducting a meta-analysis
- Step 1: defining the research question.
- Step 2: literature search.
- Step 3: choice of the effect size measure.
- Step 4: choice of the analytical method used.
- Step 5: choice of software.
- Step 6: coding of effect sizes.
- Step 7: analysis.
- Step 8: reporting results.
What are the benefits of a meta-analysis?
Benefits of meta-analysis
Through meta-analysis, researchers can combine smaller studies, essentially making them into one big study, which may help show an effect. Additionally, a meta-analysis can help increase the accuracy of the results. This is also because it is, in effect, increasing the size of the study.
What are the types of meta-analysis?
There are four widely used methods of meta-analysis for dichotomous outcomes, three fixed-effect methods (Mantel-Haenszel, Peto and inverse variance) and one random-effects method (DerSimonian and Laird inverse variance). All of these methods are available as analysis options in RevMan.
What is an example of meta-analysis in psychology?
There are many meta-analyses in psychology and medicine, areas where studies find often conflicting results. For example, some experiments might find that a particular drug decreases the risk of heart attack, while other experiments might find the drug doesn’t have any particular effect.
What are the four basic steps of a meta-analysis?
The steps of meta analysis are similar to that of a systematic review and include framing of a question, searching of literature, abstraction of data from individual studies, and framing of summary estimates and examination of publication bias.
What are the types of meta-analysis?
There are four widely used methods of meta-analysis for dichotomous outcomes, three fixed-effect methods (Mantel-Haenszel, Peto and inverse variance) and one random-effects method (DerSimonian and Laird inverse variance). All of these methods are available as analysis options in RevMan.
How do you perform a meta-analysis?
Eight steps in conducting a meta-analysis
- Step 1: defining the research question.
- Step 2: literature search.
- Step 3: choice of the effect size measure.
- Step 4: choice of the analytical method used.
- Step 5: choice of software.
- Step 6: coding of effect sizes.
- Step 7: analysis.
- Step 8: reporting results.
What are the benefits of meta-analysis?
Benefits of meta-analysis
Through meta-analysis, researchers can combine smaller studies, essentially making them into one big study, which may help show an effect. Additionally, a meta-analysis can help increase the accuracy of the results. This is also because it is, in effect, increasing the size of the study.
How is meta-analysis used in psychotherapy?
A meta-analysis provides more robust results that can help psychology researchers better understand the magnitude of an effect. A meta-analysis provides important conclusions and trends that can influence future research, policy-makers’ decisions, and how patients receive care.
What tool is used for meta-analysis?
Tools for Meta-Analysis
The metafor package is a free and open-source add-on for conducting meta-analyses with the statistical software environment R. Completely open-source, cross-platform software for advanced meta-analysis.
Does a meta-analysis have a hypothesis?
They start with a question that allows for the formulation of a hypothesis. This is followed by a systematic review of studies already published on a topic relevant to the question. Rarely, unpublished data might also be considered.
How do you critically analyze a meta-analysis?
One of the most important steps in critically appraising a meta-analysis is determining the methodological quality of the study design and the level of bias incorporated in the analysis. One key factor affecting the quality of meta-analysis is the quality of the studies that are included in the meta-analysis itself.
How many studies is a meta-analysis?
Two studies is a sufficient number to perform a meta-analysis, provided that those two studies can be meaningfully pooled and provided their results are sufficiently ‘similar’.
Is Meta study qualitative or quantitative?
Meta-analysis is a quantitative method that uses and synthesizes data from multiple individual studies to arrive at one or more conclusions. Meta-synthesis is another method that analyzes and combines data from multiple qualitative studies.
Is a meta-analysis a primary study?
A meta-analysis is a mathematical synthesis of the results of two or more primary studies that addressed the same hypothesis in the same way.
