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Ten basic guidelines for conducting and publishing a meta-analysis

To systematically search published studies, use various bibliographic databases like PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Specific databases like BIOSIS, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Sociological Abstracts, and EconLit can help identify additional articles and data. <br>Read more @ https://pubrica.com/academy/meta-analysis/ten-basic-guidelines-for-conducting-and-publishing-a-meta-analysis/<br>

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Ten basic guidelines for conducting and publishing a meta-analysis

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  1. TEN BASIC GUIDELINES FOR CONDUCTING AND PUBLISHING A META-ANALYSIS An Academic presentation by Dr. Nancy Agnes, Head, Technical Operations, Pubrica Group:  www.pubrica.com Email: sales@pubrica.com

  2. Introduction • Meta-analysis is important in evidence-based medicine because it combines information from numerous sources and brings new insights. • Meta-analysis research has grown in popularity as the amount of publishedscientific literature has increased. They are widely mentioned in biomedical sciences. • Meta-analysis methodologies and criteria have developed throughout time. While there are several guidelines for certain types of meta-analysis, researchers interested in generating meta-analysis want a condensed piece containing general and up-to-date advice. • This blog provides 10 straightforward guidelines for doing and publishing meta-analyses. • To know more about Meta-Analysis Services, check our study guide. How to do a meta-analysis for a manuscript?

  3. Rule 1: Be specific about the meta-analysis's topic and approach. • A systematic review is crucial for meta-analysis, using the PICO model to formulate research questions. • Verify that no published meta-analysis on the specific topic to avoid duplication. • Meta-analysis can be conducted for multiple types of studies, including epidemiological variables, genetic association studies, gene expression studies, genome-wide association studies, and animal experiments—Preregister systematic review protocols at PROSPERO to avoid duplication of efforts. contd...

  4. Rule 2: Adhere to the available instructions for the various forms of meta-analysis. • General guidelines for meta-analysis include the Quality of Reports of Meta-analyses of Randomized Controlled Trials (QUORUM) and the Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) statements. • The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) are widely used. Specific guidelines for clinical, genetic association, genome-wide expression, GWASs, and animal studies have been developed. contd...

  5. Rule 3: Identify the essential variables and establish the inclusion criterion • Establish inclusion and exclusion criteria for studies, avoiding strict language or sample size criteria. • Clearly define variables extracted from each article. Broad inclusion criteria increase heterogeneity, while narrow criteria can make it difficult to find studies. • A compromise should be found, and prospective meta-analysis, typically conducted by international consortia, offers the advantage of including individual-level data. contd...

  6. Rule 4: Conduct a systematic search across several databases and extract important data. • To systematically search published studies, use various bibliographic databases like PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. • Specific databases like BIOSIS, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Sociological Abstracts, and EconLit can help identify additional articles and data. • The Web of Science database can identify publications with key articles. Adequate extraction and recording of key data from primary articles is crucial for conducting a meta-analysis. Quality assessment of included studies, such as the Jadad scale for randomized clinical trials, the Newcastle-Ottawa scale for nonrandomized studies, and QUADAS-2 for diagnostic accuracy studies, is essential for determining inclusion criteria, sensitivity analysis, and differential weighting. • However, quality assessment has been criticized for reducing studies to a single "quality" score. contd...

  7. Rule 5: Request missing data from primary article authors. • Key data in primary articles is often unavailable, requiring authors to contact them for missing information. • Standards like MIAME and STREGA promote primary data availability, but strict criteria and specialized permissions may be needed in certain areas, like genetics, where aggregated statistics can identify individuals. contd...

  8. Rule 6: Choose the best statistical models for your problem. • Comprehensive meta-analysis are useful for analyzing high-quality primary data for quantitative summaries. However, analysts must be prepared for various transformations, such as extracting and transforming continuous variables, 2 × 2 tables, or survival data. • These analyses often use fixed-effects or random-effects statistical models, combining ranks or p-values, or multivariate methods. Additional statistical examinations include sensitivity analyses, metaregressions, subgroup analyses, and calculation of heterogeneity metrics. • It is crucial to assess and explain possible sources of heterogeneity, identify sources of between-studies variation, and quantify their impact on effect size. • Publication bias, such as the "Proteus phenomenon" or "winner's curse," is important in certain scientific fields, and cumulative meta-analysis is suggested to identify them. contd...

  9. Rule 7: Use software that is readily available to do meta statistics • Meta-analyses are available in various programs, including Stata and R, which can handle complex analyses like network and gene expression studies. • Stand-alone packages like OpenMetaAnalyst, NetworkAnalyst, JASP, MetaGenyo, Cochrane RevMan, EpiSheet, GWAR, GWAMA, and METAL are available for general applications or specific areas. However, some programs may present issues due to dependency on other packages. contd...

  10. Rule 8: The study report and records must be thorough and open. • Meta-analyses should follow guidelines to ensure transparency and replicability. • Data on search criteria, abstract screening, and included studies is useful, along with meta-analytical strategies. • Assessment of study quality is also important. A spreadsheet with step records can create flow charts, improving the meta-analysis's quality. • Records can be updated if needed, and stating limitations is crucial. contd...

  11. Rule 9: Give your manuscript adequate data. • A table with detailed information about included studies is useful in meta-analysis articles. • It can be included in the main text or as a supplementary file. • Reference software for meta-analyses and generate key graphs, including summary effect measures. • Include plots from sensitivity analyses for positive findings. In complex analyses, include scripts used to generate results in supplementary files. contd...

  12. Rule 10: Explain the context of your results and recommend the next steps • The Discussion section is crucial in a meta-analysis manuscript, as it helps authors discuss findings in relation to existing literature and knowledge. • It provides an interpretation of findings, comments on individual studies, and suggests future primary studies based on available evidence. • Check our Meta-Analysis Service sample work to know and learn more about, A meta-analysis of the relationship between Helicobacter Pylori infection and ABO blood groups. contd...

  13. About Pubrica • The team of researchers and writers at Pubrica creates scientific and medical research articles that may be a vital resource for practitioners and authors. • By educating the reader about the flaws or gaps in the chosen study field, Pubrica medical writers assist you in writing and editing the introduction. Our specialists are familiar with the format that moves from a broad topic, problem, and background to a focused topic where the hypothesis is stated.

  14. Contact Us UNITED KINGDOM +44 1618186353 INDIA +91-9884350006 EMAIL sales@pubrica.com

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