Practical Meta-Analysis

by Mark W. Lipsey

• ISBN13: 9780761921684
• ISBN10: 0761921680
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-08-18
• Publisher: SAGE Publications, Inc

Summary

What research designs and methodological features qualify a study for meta-analysis and which disqualify it? What types of research reports are appropriate for the meta-analysis? What is the cultural and linguistic range of the studies to be included? By integrating and translating the current methodological and statistical work into a practical guide, the authors address these questions to provide readers with a state-of-the-art introduction to the various approaches to doing meta-analysis.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	ix
Introduction	1	(11)
Situations to Which Meta-Analysis is Applicable	1	(2)
The Key Concept of Effect Size	3	(2)
The Strengths of Meta-Analysis	5	(2)
The Weaknesses of Meta-Analysis	7	(3)
Recent History and Contemporary Usage of Meta-Analysis	10	(1)
Overview of Book	11	(1)
Problem Specification and Study Retrieval	12	(22)
Identifying the From of the Research Findings to be Meta Analyzed	12	(4)
Study Eligibility Criteria	16	(7)
Methodological Quality Revisited	20	(3)
Identifying, Locating, and Retrieving Research Reports	23	(11)
Finding References	24	(7)
Retrieving Research Reports	31	(3)
Selecting, Computing, and Coding the Effect Size Statistic	34	(39)
Effect Size Statistics and Their Variances	34	(3)
A Note on Notation	37	(1)
Types of Research Findings and Applicable Effect Size Statistics	37	(34)
One Variable Relationships (Central Tendency Description)	38	(3)
Two- Variable Relationships	41	(18)
Association Between Variables	59	(8)
Multivariate Relationships	67	(4)
Summary of Effect Size Statistics	71	(2)
Developing a Coding Scheme and Coding Study Reports	73	(18)
Developing a Coding Protocol	73	(13)
Units of Analysis and Hierarchical Levels of Coding	75	(6)
Effect Size Coding	81	(2)
Study Descriptors	83	(3)
Coding Information About the Coding Process Itself	86	(2)
Training of Coders	88	(3)
Data Management	91	(14)
Creating Meta-Analytic Data Files	91	(3)
Coding Directly into the Computer	94	(1)
Using the Computer to Maintain the Bibliography	95	(1)
Structure of Meta-Analytic Data Files	96	(9)
Creating a Single Flat File to use for Analysis	97	(1)
Merging Multiple Files to Use for Analysis	97	(8)
Analysis Issues and Strategies	105	(24)
The Stages of Analysis	107	(22)
Effect Size Adjustments	107	(5)
Analyzing the Effect Size Mean and Distribution	112	(4)
Analysis of Heterogeneous Distributions of Effect Size	116	(9)
Analysis of Statistically Dependent Effect Sizes	125	(1)
Additional Analysis Issues	126	(3)
Computational Techniques for Meta-Analysis Data	129	(17)
The Mean, Confidence Interval, and Homogeneity Test	129	(13)
Analysis of Heterogeneous Distributions of Effect Size	133	(5)
Weighted Regression Analysis	138	(4)
Graphing Techniques	142	(4)
Interpreting and Using Meta-Analysis Results	146	(23)
Interpreting Effect Size Values	146	(10)
Rules to Thumb for Effect Size Magnitude	147	(1)
Translation of Effect Sizes to Other Metrics	148	(6)
Clinical and Practical Significance	154	(2)
Caveats in Interpreting Meta-Analysis Results	156	(11)
Methodological Adequacy of the Research Base	157	(1)
Confounding of Substantive and Methodological Features	158	(3)
The Importance of Variance	161	(2)
Research Gaps and Generalizability	163	(2)
Sampling Bias	165	(2)
Implications of Meta-Analysis for Practice and Policy	167	(2)
Appendix A. Computer-Based Bibliographic Services and Examples of Relevant Databases	169	(3)
Appendix B. Procedures for Computing Effect Size Values from Eligible Study Reports	172	(35)
Standardized Mean Difference Effect Size	172	(17)
Direct Calculation of ESsm	172	(1)
Algebraically Equivalent Formulas for ESsm	173	(1)
Exact Probability Levels for a t-value or F-ratio	174	(1)
Calculation of Means and Standard Deviations from a Frequency Distribution	175	(2)
Approximations Based on Continuous Data-- The point-Biserial Coefficient	177	(1)
Estimating X1-X2 and Spooled	178	(9)
Dichotomized Data	187	(2)
The Correlation Coefficient Effect Size	189	(6)
Definitional Formula for ESr	190	(1)
Joint Frequency Distributions for Discrete or Grouped Continuous Data	191	(1)
A Dichotomous and a Continuous Measure	192	(2)
Two Dichotomous Measures	194	(1)
Approximations and probability Values	195	(1)
Odds-Ratio Effect Size	195	(12)
Calculation Based on Call Frequencies	196	(1)
Calculation Based on Row Proportions	196	(1)
Calculation Based on Cell Proportions	196	(1)
Imputation of 2 x 2 Contingency Table From Correlation and Marginal Proportions	197	(1)
Imputation of 2 x 2 Contingency Table Based on Chi-Square and Marginal Proportions	197	(1)
Imputation of Odds-Ration from Continuous Data	198	(9)
Appendix C. MS Excel Effect Size Computation Program	207	(1)
Appendix D. SPSS Macros for Meta-Analysis	208	(13)
Appendix E. Coding Manual and Coding Forms for the Example Meta-Analysis of Challenge Programs for Juvenile Delinquents	221	(2)
Study-Level Coding Manual	221	(4)
Sample Descriptors	221	(1)
Research Design Descriptors	222	(1)
Nature of the Treatment Descriptors	223	(2)
Effect Size Level Coding Manual	225	(3)
Dependent Measure Descriptors	225	(1)
Effect Size Data	226	(2)
Study-Level Coding From	228	(3)
Sample Descriptors	228	(1)
Research Design Descriptors	229	(1)
Nature of the Treatment Descriptors	230	(1)
Effect Size Level Coding Form	231	(1)
Dependent Measure Descriptors	231	(1)
Effect Size Data	231
Bibliography of Recommended Readings	223	(11)
References	234	(7)
Index	241	(6)
About the Authors	247