Features Pros and Cons of Meta Analysis As a Research Methodology

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Meta-Analysis and Procedures for Synthesizing Results

Key aspects of meta-analysis

Meta-analysis is the process of integrating the qualitative findings of separate studies through formal statistical approaches (Swanson & Holton III (eds). 2005). The aim of meta-analysis is to increase the precision of estimating the treatment effect of any intervention used. In other words, a meta-analysis combines the outcomes of various studies with the purpose of answering a set of related research hypotheses. The collection of studies can be in the form of raw data from clinical studies, summary statistics in abstracts or report and even published literature. In a broader sense, a meta-analysis is the product of a systematic review.

Strengths

Integrating data from a pool of appropriately conducted primary studies could offer a precise estimate of the underlying effect unlike any individual research (Swanson & Holton III (eds). 2005). This means that by synthesizing the samples of the separate studies, the investigator increases the size of the overall sample. The result is an enhanced statistical power of the analysis and a reduced size of the confidence interval for the estimated effect. Besides, communicating a pooled summary is more efficient than describing the results for each of the individual studies.

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In some cases, the benefits may be realized by pooling the results since the treatment effect in small trials exhibits an insignificant pattern towards efficiency.

Limitations

Meta-analysis studies are often associated with validity and quality concerns. Such studies can only be as valid as the independent studies in the analysis. When the investigator selects high-quality studies and uses a sound meta-analysis method, then, the outcomes of the meta-analysis can be expected to be reliable. However, when the methodological quality of the chosen studies is inadequate, the conclusion drawn from the qualitative integration of this data could similarly be insufficient. Most probably, internal factors that threaten the validity of a meta-analysis include selection bias, observer bias and attrition bias (Swanson & Holton III (eds). 2005).

Researchers are leaning towards a trend of applying an iterative approach to advance a research project. In practice, this simply refers to a cyclic procedure of prototyping, analyzing, testing and refining a research in progress. In applying this approach, researchers interact with a design system as a form of research for evolving and informing a project as iterations or successive versions of the design are implemented.

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