Meta-analysis

For the process in historical linguistics known as metanalysis, see Rebracketing.

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Graphical summary of a meta-analysis of over 1,000 cases of diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma and other pediatric gliomas, in which information about the mutations involved as well as generic outcomes were distilled from the underlying primary literature

Meta-analysis is the statistical combination of the results of multiple studies addressing a similar research question. An important part of this method involves computing a combined effect size across all of the studies. As such, this statistical approach involves extracting effect sizes and variance measures from various studies.[1] Meta-analyses are integral in supporting research grant proposals, shaping treatment guidelines, and influencing health policies. They are also pivotal in summarizing existing research to guide future studies, thereby cementing their role as a fundamental methodology in metascience.

Meta-analyses are often, but not always, important components of a systematic review procedure, see for instance PRISMA.[2] A meta-analysis can be conducted on several fielda to assess the impact of an intervention when there are multiple studies reporting data suitable to measure a combined effect size.

  1. ^ Balduzzi, Sara; Rücker, Gerta; Schwarzer, Guido (November 2019). "How to perform a meta-analysis with R: a practical tutorial". Evidence-Based Mental Health. 22 (4): 153–160. doi:10.1136/ebmental-2019-300117. ISSN 1468-960X. PMC 10231495. PMID 31563865.
  2. ^ Page, Matthew J.; McKenzie, Joanne E.; Bossuyt, Patrick M.; Boutron, Isabelle; Hoffmann, Tammy C.; Mulrow, Cynthia D.; Shamseer, Larissa; Tetzlaff, Jennifer M.; Akl, Elie A.; Brennan, Sue E.; Chou, Roger; Glanville, Julie; Grimshaw, Jeremy M.; Hróbjartsson, Asbjørn; Lalu, Manoj M. (29 March 2021). "The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews". Systematic Reviews. 10 (1): 89. doi:10.1186/s13643-021-01626-4. ISSN 2046-4053. PMC 8008539. PMID 33781348.