Intro/Random
Bonus Question
What was your biggest takeaway from this chapter?
variable answers
What are some examples of heterogeneity that need to be addressed in a study?
-admission in different settings
-different types of treatments used
-using different types of designs
Define attrition bias.
Participants drop out of treatment before it is completed or refuse to continue participating in a study.
True or false
Meta-analyses only summarize the key results in a narrative fashion
False, in a meta-analysis they also calaculate an average size of the relationship between two variables as a numerical result
Why is it important that a researcher would publish their protocol for study selection before conducting their systematic review or meta-analysis?
To eliminate the possibility of changing their protocol in response to how the search and selection shapes up.
True or False
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses do not have any limitations
False, every research study has limitations and these limitations must be stated in their review.
What is the idea behind a systematic review?
To make sure that an analysis of empirical literature on a specific topic is as comprehensive and unbias as possible.
It is important that a researcher formulates a clear objective of the study what are the two ways this can be expressed? Provide one example
Research question or hypothesis
example: Hypothesis stated as "Does such and such intervention work?"
What are some important components that are coded in meta-analyses?
- the type of intervention
- study sample characteristics
- the ways outcomes are assessed
-the type of study design
-comparability of comparison group
Besides effect sizes what are some other common summary statistics in a meta-analysis?
Odd ratios, mean difference, or standardized mean difference
What are some examples of how a researcher would explain in detail how they systematically searched for relevant studies?
- Provide databases they went through
- which keywords did they use for their searches
- Did they only target studies published in peer-reviewed journals or were other sources included
- used articles published within a certain time period
Define publication bias.
Studies with significantly significant findings are more likely to be published.
What makes a specific practice or intervention evidence-based?
Significant evidence of its effectiveness derived from systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses.
What is an appropriate amount of studies that must be included in the final sample for analysis to provide a more solid evidence base?
At least 10, with over 20 studies receiving the highest marks for a sound evidence-based for generalization
In the event that a systematic review or meta-analysis does not arrive at any conclusive results or strong findings what must still be done?
The researcher must state that implications for practice cannot be drawn and explain the reasons for that