Health & Environmental Research Online (HERO)


Print Feedback Export to File
5029228 
Book/Book Chapter 
Chapter 3: First steps in beginning a meta-analysis 
Stewart, GB; Côté, IM; Rothstein, HR; Curtis PS 
2013 
Princeton University Press 
Princeton, NJ 
Handbook of Meta-analysis in Ecology and Evolution 
English 
is part of a larger document 5029185 Handbook of Meta-analysis in Ecology and Evolution
This chapter discusses the initiation of the process of systematic research synthesis. Without a systematic approach to defining, obtaining, and collating data, meta-analyses may yield precise but erroneous results, with different types of sampling error (biases) and excess subjectivity in choice of methods and definition of thresholds; these devalue the rigor of any statistical approaches employed. The chapter considers exactly the same issues that face an ecologist designing a field experiment. What's the question? How can I define my sampling universe? How should I collect my data? What analyses should I undertake? How should I interpret my results robustly? These questions are considered in the context of research synthesis.