Systematic review and meta-analysis methodology Journal Articles

abstract

• Abstract Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are being increasingly used to summarize medical literature and identify areas in which research is needed. Systematic reviews limit bias with the use of a reproducible scientific process to search the literature and evaluate the quality of the individual studies. If possible the results are statistically combined into a meta-analysis in which the data are weighted and pooled to produce an estimate of effect. This article aims to provide the reader with a practical overview of systematic review and meta-analysis methodology, with a focus on the process of performing a review and the related issues at each step.

authors

• Crowther, Mark
• Lim, Wendy
• Crowther, Mark

status

• published 

publication date

• October 28, 2010

has subject area

• 1102 Cardiorespiratory Medicine and Haematology (FoR)
• 1103 Clinical Sciences (FoR)
• 1114 Paediatrics and Reproductive Medicine (FoR)
• Biomedical Research (MeSH)
• Clinical Trials as Topic (MeSH)
• Humans (MeSH)
• Immunology (Science Metrix)
• Meta-Analysis as Topic (MeSH)
• Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic (MeSH)
• Review Literature as Topic (MeSH)

published in

• Blood  Journal

keywords

• Biomedical Research
• Clinical Trials as Topic
• Humans
• Meta-Analysis as Topic
• Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
• Review Literature as Topic

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.1182/blood-2010-05-280883

PubMed ID

• 20656933

start page

• 3140

end page

• 3146

volume

• 116

issue

• 17