Methodological Guidance Paper: High-Quality Meta-Analysis in a Systematic Review
- 25 September 2019
- journal article
- review article
- Published by American Educational Research Association (AERA) in Review of Educational Research
- Vol. 90 (1), 24-46
- https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654319877153
Abstract
This methodological guidance article discusses the elements of a high-quality meta-analysis that is conducted within the context of a systematic review. Meta-analysis, a set of statistical techniques for synthesizing the results of multiple studies, is used when the guiding research question focuses on a quantitative summary of study results. In this guidance article, we discuss the systematic review methods that support high-quality meta-analyses and outline best practice meta-analysis methods for describing the distribution of effect sizes in a set of eligible studies. We also provide suggestions for transparently reporting the methods and results of meta-analyses to influence practice and policy. Given the increasing use of meta-analysis for important policy decisions, the methods and results of meta-analysis should be both transparent and reproducible.Keywords
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