Statistical Meta-Analysis with Applications

About this book

An accessible introduction to performing meta-analysis across various areas of research The practice of meta-analysis allows researchers to obtain findings from various studies and compile them to verify and form one overall conclusion. Statistical Meta-Analysis with Applications presents the necessary statistical methodologies that allow readers to tackle the four main stages of meta-analysis: problem formulation data collection data evaluation and data analysis and interpretation. Combining the authors expertise on the topic with a wealth of up-to-date information this book successfully introduces the essential statistical practices for making thorough and accurate discoveries across a wide array of diverse fields such as business public health biostatistics and environmental studies. Two main types of statistical analysis serve as the foundation of the methods and techniques: combining tests of effect size and combining estimates of effect size. Additional topics covered include: Meta-analysis regression procedures Multiple-endpoint and multiple-treatment studies The Bayesian approach to meta-analysis Publication bias Vote counting procedures Methods for combining individual tests and combining individual estimates Using meta-analysis to analyze binary and ordinal categorical data Numerous worked-out examples in each chapter provide the reader with a step-by-step understanding of the presented methods. All exercises can be computed using the R and SAS software packages which are both available via the books related Web site. Extensive references are also included outlining additional sources for further study. Requiring only a working knowledge of statistics Statistical Meta-Analysis with Applications is a valuable supplement for courses in biostatistics business public health and social research at the upper-undergraduate and graduate levels. It is also an excellent reference for applied statisticians working in industry academia and government.