Meta analysis is a kind of statistical analysis that consists of huge collections of outcomes for the purpose of integrating the findings. The idea behind conducting Meta analysis is to help the researcher by providing certain methodological literature that the researcher wants to obtain from the experimental research.
The analyses that involves Meta analysis consists of centering the correlation between the explanatory variables and the response variables. The consequent effect of the explanatory variables or the independent variables on the response variable reflects the idea behind conducting Meta analysis.
Meta analysis allows the researcher to allocate the subjectivity in the reviews, instead of allocating true objectivity. Meta analysis can be efficiently conducted by the researcher by using computer databases like MS Access, and statistical software like DSTAT, SAS, etc.
There is a quantitative literature review that consists of articles that contain the effects that are investigated by the researcher under different cases. This furthers the overall strength described by the researcher by using Meta analysis.
With the help of Meta analysis, the researcher can easily identify that situation in which the effect would be stronger and the situation in which the effect would be weaker.
Today, Meta analysis has become quite popular and therefore it has been used in certain research papers. The overall strength or consistency that exists in a relationship can be known by the researcher by carrying out the procedure of Meta analysis.
There are certain databases that are used by psychologists, finance researchers, and health researchers to perform the procedure of Meta-analysis. They are as follows:
ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) is the database that is used by psychological researchers to perform the procedure of Meta-analysis in psychological studies.
Mental Health abstracts are the databases that are used by psychological researchers to perform the procedure of Meta-analysis in psychological studies.
Sociological abstracts are the databases that are used by psychological researchers to perform the procedure of Meta-analysis in psychological studies.
On-line dissertation abstracts are the databases that are used by psychological researchers to perform the procedure of Meta-analysis in psychological studies.
PsycLit / PsycInfo (PsycLit is the CD- ROM version) are the databases that are used by psychological researchers to perform the procedure of Meta-analysis in psychological studies.
ABI / Inform is a globally acclaimed business management and finance database that is used by finance related researchers to perform the procedure of Meta-analysis in finance related studies.
MEDILINE is a biomedical literature database that includes healthcare, clinical psychology, etc. It is used by health related researchers to perform the procedure of Meta-analysis in health related studies.
There are certain steps that can help in understanding the procedure of conducting Meta analysis.
- The first step of Meta-analysis involves the definition of the theoretical relationship of interest by the researcher.
- The second step of Meta-analysis involves the collection of the population studies that will in-turn provide the researcher with the data on relationships needed to conduct the study.
- In the third step of Meta-analysis, the researcher performs the coding of the studies’ related variables and also computes the effect sizes.
- In the fourth step of Meta-analysis, the researcher examines the distribution of the effective size. In this step of Meta analysis, the researcher also analyzes the effect of the moderating variables.
- The last step of Meta analysis involves the interpretation and the reporting of the results from Meta analysis.
