-
How to review and assess a systematic review and meta-analysis article: a methodological study (secondary publication)
-
Seung-Kwon Myung
-
J Educ Eval Health Prof. 2023;20:24. Published online August 27, 2023
-
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3352/jeehp.2023.20.24
-
-
8,717
View
-
675
Download
-
7
Web of Science
-
8
Crossref
-
 Abstract
 PDF Supplementary Material
- Systematic reviews and meta-analyses have become central in many research fields, particularly medicine. They offer the highest level of evidence in evidence-based medicine and support the development and revision of clinical practice guidelines, which offer recommendations for clinicians caring for patients with specific diseases and conditions. This review summarizes the concepts of systematic reviews and meta-analyses and provides guidance on reviewing and assessing such papers. A systematic review refers to a review of a research question that uses explicit and systematic methods to identify, select, and critically appraise relevant research. In contrast, a meta-analysis is a quantitative statistical analysis that combines individual results on the same research question to estimate the common or mean effect. Conducting a meta-analysis involves defining a research topic, selecting a study design, searching literature in electronic databases, selecting relevant studies, and conducting the analysis. One can assess the findings of a meta-analysis by interpreting a forest plot and a funnel plot and by examining heterogeneity. When reviewing systematic reviews and meta-analyses, several essential points must be considered, including the originality and significance of the work, the comprehensiveness of the database search, the selection of studies based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, subgroup analyses by various factors, and the interpretation of the results based on the levels of evidence. This review will provide readers with helpful guidance to help them read, understand, and evaluate these articles.
-
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by  - Testing the distinction between sadism and psychopathy: A metanalysis
Bruno Bonfá-Araujo, Gisele Magarotto Machado, Ariela Raissa Lima-Costa, Fernanda Otoni, Mahnoor Nadeem, Peter K. Jonason
Personality and Individual Differences.2025; 235: 112973. CrossRef - Impact of peripheral immune cells in experimental neonatal hypoxia-ischemia: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Ricardo Ribeiro Nunes, Luz Elena Durán-Carabali, Nícolas Heller Ribeiro, Dienifer Hermann Sirena, Isadora D’Ávila Tassinari, Carlos Alexandre Netto, Ana Helena Paz, Luciano Stürmer de Fraga
International Immunopharmacology.2025; 145: 113682. CrossRef - The Role of BIM in Managing Risks in Sustainability of Bridge Projects: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis
Dema Munef Ahmad, László Gáspár, Zsolt Bencze, Rana Ahmad Maya
Sustainability.2024; 16(3): 1242. CrossRef - The association between long noncoding RNA ABHD11-AS1 and malignancy prognosis: a meta-analysis
Guangyao Lin, Tao Ye, Jing Wang
BMC Cancer.2024;[Epub] CrossRef - The impact of indoor carbon dioxide exposure on human brain activity: A systematic review and meta-analysis based on studies utilizing electroencephalogram signals
Nan Zhang, Chao Liu, Caixia Hou, Wenhao Wang, Qianhui Yuan, Weijun Gao
Building and Environment.2024; 259: 111687. CrossRef - Efficacy of mechanical debridement with adjunct antimicrobial photodynamic therapy against peri-implant subgingival oral yeasts colonization: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Dena Ali, Jenna Alsalman
Photodiagnosis and Photodynamic Therapy.2024; 50: 104399. CrossRef - The effectiveness and usability of online, group-based interventions for people with severe obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Madison Milne-Ives, Lorna Burns, Dawn Swancutt, Raff Calitri, Ananya Ananthakrishnan, Helene Davis, Jonathan Pinkney, Mark Tarrant, Edward Meinert
International Journal of Obesity.2024;[Epub] CrossRef - Non-invasive brain stimulation enhances motor and cognitive performances during dual tasks in patients with Parkinson’s disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Hajun Lee, Beom Jin Choi, Nyeonju Kang
Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
|
KHPLEI
