Lorenc, T;
Felix, L;
Petticrew, M;
Melendez-Torres, GJ;
Thomas, J;
Thomas, S;
O'Mara-Eves, AJ;
(2016)
Meta-analysis, complexity and heterogeneity: A qualitative interview study of researchers’ methodological values and practices.
Systematic Reviews
, 5
, Article 192. 10.1186/s13643-016-0366-6.
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Abstract
Background. Complex or heterogeneous data pose challenges for systematic review and meta-analysis. In recent years a number of new methods have been developed to meet these challenges. This qualitative interview study aimed to understand researchers’ understanding of complexity and heterogeneity, and the factors which may influence the choices researchers make in synthesizing complex data. Methods. We conducted interviews with a purposive sample of researchers (N = 19) working in systematic review or meta-analysis across a range of disciplines. We analysed data thematically using a framework approach. Results. Participants reported using a broader range of methods and data types in complex reviews than in traditional reviews. A range of techniques are used to explore heterogeneity, but there is some debate about their validity, particularly when applied post hoc. Conclusions. Technical considerations of how to synthesize complex evidence cannot be isolated from questions of the goals and contexts of research. However, decisions about how to analyse data appear to be made in a largely informal way, drawing on tacit expertise, and their relation to these broader questions remains unclear.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Meta-analysis, complexity and heterogeneity: A qualitative interview study of researchers’ methodological values and practices |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1186/s13643-016-0366-6 |
| Publisher version: | http://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-016-0366-6 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | © The Author(s). 2016. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated. |
| Keywords: | Complexity, Heterogeneity, Meta-analysis, Qualitative research, Systematic review methodology |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Social Research Institute |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1528650 |
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