| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Encyclopedia of Clinical Psychology |
| Editors | Robin L Cautin, Scott O Lilienfeld |
| Publisher | Wiley-Blackwell |
| Pages | 1-7 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| ISBN (Print) | 978-0-470-67127-6 |
| State | Published - 2015 |
Abstract
Meta-analysis is a set of tools for combining statistical estimates from research studies. It provides ways to synthesize results from the summary statistics of the studies, and allows tests of significance for those combined results. The analyses are conducted in order to describe a pattern of results on a given topic. Such syntheses have become essential because of the increasing amount of accumulated research literature in psychology and other empirical sciences. Meta-analysis allows for the organization of this literature. This entry explains some of the main concepts and basic computations for conducting a meta-analysis. It provides a working example of how the computations are completed and includes numerous references to sources available for further analyses.