Narrative Review & Meta-Analysis Guide

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Questions and Answers

What is the main topic of the document?

A step-by-step guide for conducting narrative reviews and meta-analysis (correct)

A comparative analysis of narrative reviews and meta-analysis

A comprehensive analysis of the methodology used in narrative reviews and meta-analysis

A systematic review of narrative reviews and meta-analysis

What does the abbreviation 'Dr.med.Dr.Sc.dr.' most likely indicate?

The author's academic qualifications (correct)

A software program used for conducting meta-analysis

A specific type of research study

The name of a specific research institution

What is the significance of the hyphen in the document's title?

It suggests the document is divided into two distinct parts.

It indicates a direct comparison between two research methods.

It highlights the importance of both narrative reviews and meta-analysis.

It emphasizes the sequential nature of the steps involved. (correct)

What is the target audience of this document?

Students learning about research methodologies (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a probable topic covered in the document?

Developing statistical models for analysis (A) Signup and view all the answers

What can be included in a meta-analysis to explain variation between studies?

Moderator variables (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of these is a potential disadvantage of meta-analysis?

May not predict results of a large study (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is assessed to quantify the inconsistency of results across studies in a meta-analysis?

Effect sizes (C) Signup and view all the answers

What can be investigated to detect biases in meta-analysis?

Publication bias (A) Signup and view all the answers

What determines the weight assigned to each study in a meta-analysis?

Sample size of the study (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the first step in conducting a literature review?

Identify topic (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which method can be used to critically read literature?

Previewing (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is an important criterion to evaluate the reliability of a source?

Audience and authority (B) Signup and view all the answers

In the literature review process, what comes after reading literature critically?

Analyzing literature (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is not typically included in the initial search for literature?

Visual representations (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is a major component of synthesizing literature?

Identifying trends or patterns (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which one of the following actions is part of the evaluating step in literature review?

Assessing relevance and reliability (C) Signup and view all the answers

What does analyzing literature help to determine?

The methodology used and evidence for claims (D) Signup and view all the answers

What should a literature review ensure about its outline?

It follows a logical sequence of topics and subtopics. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which organizational method focuses on the chronological order of studies?

Chronological organization. (D) Signup and view all the answers

In which section might an author list agreements between studies?

Links Between Studies. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is a key benefit of creating a summary table in a literature review?

It provides a quick overview of extensive information. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which characteristic is NOT essential for a good literature review?

Vague. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What does 'methodological organization' in a literature review emphasize?

The types of methods used by researchers. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes how ideas should flow within a literature review?

In a smooth, logical progression. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What does an integrative literature review emphasize?

The relationships and commonalities among studies. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the main purpose of meta-analysis?

To systematically combine results from previous research (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which advantage of meta-analysis helps in making results applicable to a larger population?

Improves precision and accuracy of estimates (C) Signup and view all the answers

What does meta-analysis help to identify regarding previous studies?

Data gaps (D) Signup and view all the answers

How has the number of meta-analysis publications changed since the early 1990s?

Increased steadily (C) Signup and view all the answers

One function of meta-analysis is to increase the statistical power of the study. What does this mean?

It enhances the accuracy of detecting effects (D) Signup and view all the answers

What role does meta-analysis play in hypothesis testing?

It develops, refines, and tests hypotheses (B) Signup and view all the answers

In which year was the first modern meta-analysis published?

1977 (A) Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of meta-analysis helps to reduce study comparison subjectivity?

Systematic methodological approach (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of a Review of Literature?

To analyze existing studies and identify research gaps (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following describes a systematic review?

A review that employs specific strategies to ensure comprehensive literature coverage (A) Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes a meta-analysis from other literature reviews?

It quantitatively combines results of studies from systematic reviews (D) Signup and view all the answers

Why is it important to avoid unnecessary replication in research?

It wastes resources and can lead to conflicting results (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is a key characteristic of a narrative review?

It focuses on a broad topic without detailed synthesis (D) Signup and view all the answers

How does a Review of Literature help in developing research hypotheses?

By suggesting areas where knowledge is lacking and further research is needed (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is considered grey literature?

Government reports and unpublished research (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant outcome of a literature review?

Establishing a connection between past studies and new research directions (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which method best describes the process of systematically evaluating and integrating research studies?

Meta-Analysis (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is a primary goal in defining and limiting a research problem during a literature review?

To develop familiarity and focus on specific areas of interest (B) Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Narrative Review & Meta-Analysis - A Step-by-Step Guidance

A narrative review and meta-analysis is a method for evaluating a topic's current knowledge
It's a step-by-step process involving several key elements, including different types of literature reviews
Different types of knowledge synthesis, such as realist reviews, scoping reviews, rapid reviews, systematic reviews, meta-narrative reviews, state-of-the-art reviews, umbrella reviews, critical reviews, and meta-analysis

What is Literature?

Literature includes formal and informal sources, such as books, journals, conference papers, theses, dissertations, bibliographies, maps, internet resources, indexes/abstracts, audio-visual material (CDs/DVDs), electronic databases, government reports, magazines, newspapers, grey literature, and interviews/unpublished research.

Types of Literature

Primary literature includes reports, theses, emails, conference reports, company reports, some government publications, and unpublished manuscript sources.
Secondary literature includes newspapers, books, journals, internet sources (some government publications).
Tertiary literature includes indexes, abstracts, catalogues, encyclopedias, dictionaries, bibliographies, and citation indexes.

Research Loop

Library research helps determine what is currently known about the research area.
Hypothesis formation involves identifying gaps in current knowledge and developing new hypotheses.
Research design focuses on how to collect appropriate data to test the hypothesis.
Data collection involves gathering the necessary data based on the research design.
Data analysis uses statistical analysis to interpret the collected data.
Draw conclusions based on the results of the data, and how they change the known knowledge.

Types of Knowledge Synthesis

Types of knowledge synthesis include realist synthesis, realist review, scoping review, rapid review, meta-narrative reviews, state-of-the-art review, umbrella review, critical review, systematic review, and meta-analysis.

Level of Evidence

Different types of studies have varying levels of evidence.
The levels of evidence range from the strongest (systematic reviews and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials) to the weakest (expert opinion).
The types of studies include randomized controlled trials (RCTs), individual RCTs, and cohort studies and other studies.

Review of Literature

A review of literature is a structured body of text that analyzes critical points of current knowledge within a particular topic/field of study or related research.
It involves a summary of existing published literature by experts, and an interpretation of the research findings.

Review of Literature - Purposes

Define and limit the research problem
Develop familiarity with topics.
Limit research to subtopics.
Place studies in a historical perspective.
Avoid unintentional replications.
Select methods/measures that are appropriate and relevant to the problem.
Select promising methods.

Review of Literature - Designs

Narrative Review: A selective review that broadly covers a specific topic (not strict methods)
Systematic Review: Uses strict search strategies to identify relevant research; methodologically appraises and synthesizes findings.
Meta-Analysis: A quantitative combination of results from studies in a systematic literature review.

Review of Literature - Types of Articles

Reviews can be systematic or narrative.
Meta-analyses are a specific type of systematic review that combines data quantitatively.

Steps in a Narrative Review

Identifying a topic
Searching and finding literature
Evaluating literature
Reading literature critically
Analyzing literature
Synthesizing literature
Writing and presenting the review.

Searching and Finding Literature

Collect bibliographic information, abstracts, and full texts.
Use formal and informal sources (print and online).

Evaluating Literature

Evaluate relevance based on the index of book, chapter or section headings, abstract, introduction, conclusion, references or bibliography.
Evaluate reliability based on audience, authority, bias, currency, and scope.

Critical Reading

Distinction between passive and active reading
Previewing the text
Reading the text.
Taking notes
Responding critically.

Analyzing Literature

Analyze different definitions of key terms.
Analyze the methodologies used.
Examine if there is enough supporting evidence.
Compare results to those of similar similar studies.

Synthesizing Literature

Relate readings to the topic and purpose
Identify major trends and patterns
Reassemble notes using organizational tools
Create a detailed topic outline

Synthesizing Literature (2)

Identify relationships among studies, inconsistencies, and gaps in knowledge in the literature.
Note landmark studies and their replication.
Discuss how studies advance or illustrate theoretical beliefs.
Note areas needing more research.

Writing and Presenting Literature Review

Organize a literature review using a funnel-shaped structure.
Broaden topics into subtopics and then narrower subtopics related to the primary research questions.

How to Organize Studies

Chronological: Organize studies by their publication date.
**Thematic:**Organize studies based on various themes.
Methodological: Organize studies based on research methods used.

Making Links Between Studies

Identify agreements among authors, and disagreements.

Summary Table

Providing a table allows a quick overview of a large amount of information.
A summary table can contain information about author, type of study, sample, study design, data collection, and key findings.

A Good Literature Review

A focused topic within an appropriate scope
A concise review presents ideas economically.
A systematic review presents topics logically, making sure links are clear between topics.
A well-developed summary is integrative, outlining the commonalities and differences within studies.
A current literature review will focus on cutting-edge research within the topic.

Meta-Analysis

A quantitative method for systematically combining studies to arrive at conclusions.

Function of Meta-Analysis

Identify heterogeneity within studies.
Increase statistical power/precision of the study
Develop, refine, and test hypotheses.
Calculate sample size for future studies.
Identify data gaps
Reduce subjectivity in study comparisons.

Advantages of Meta-Analysis

Focus and increase clinical impact of trials.
Strengthen conclusions
Generalizability of results by incorporating more data points
Improve precision and accuracy of estimates
Increase statistical power to detect an effect
Identify inconsistencies of results
Apply hypothesis testing for summary estimates
Incorporate moderators for variations between studies
Investigate/identify publication bias

Disadvantages of Meta-Analysis

May discourage large definitive trials.
Increase tendency to mix different trials
Potential tension between meta-analysts and study authors, creating bias
Summary data of multiple small studies may not necessarily predict results, or correlate with results from a larger, single study.
Sources of bias are not always controlled
Badly designed studies will still produce problematic statistics

How a Meta-Analysis Works

Collects similar studies from previous research.
Calculate 'effect sizes' to reflect effect magnitude.
Calculates 'precision' of the study effects by using confidence intervals
Assign weights to studies based on their size, quality, or design.
Test null hypothesis using P-value.
Create summary effect of studies with mean, confidence interval, weight, P-value, ES heterogeneity, random effect, and publication bias.

When Can We Do Meta-Analysis?

Examine similar constructs and relationships in the studies
Results are in a comparable form (effect sizes)
Have appropriate objectives for the study
Have a good understanding of the population of the study

Steps in Meta-Analysis

Define the research question.
Perform the literature search.
Select the studies.
Extract the data.
Analyze the data.
Examine heterogeneity.
Assess publication bias.
Report the results.

Define Research Question Example

Does vitamin E decrease the risk of death in coronary artery disease patients?
Do patients digesting carotenoids decrease their likelihood of developing lung cancer?

Literature Searching Example

Use a methodological plan.
Search through popular databases like Pubmed, Medline, Embase, Cochrane Review, or a trials register.
Conduct comprehensive additional searches, consider other databases and strategies.
Personal references, and email searches are also good approaches.
Google Scholar searches are also beneficial.

How to Search for Literature (Example)

Use Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms to appropriately formulate your questions.
Find appropriate text within the article, abstract, or title for additional searches.
Combine search terms using boolean logic.

Boolean Logic Example

AND Zone covers areas where both terms exist within an article
OR Zone includes either of the two terms mentioned.

Example Research Question

Does streptokinase protect against death in acute myocardial infection?

Select Studies

Identify studies with high-quality evidence (high evidence and good quality).
Use eligibility and inclusion/exclusion criteria
Use previously developed guidelines like QUOROM to refine study selection criteria.
Excludes irrelevant studies like simple case studies and case reports.
Use a flow diagram to visualize the study selection.

Extract Data

Use spreadsheet software (Excel or Open Office)
Format data columns to include study name, author, publication years, number of participants, and outcome results for each study.

Analyze Data

Data Combine all data from studies
Calculate effect size (Odds Ratio, RR)
Calculate confidence interval (with 95%)
Examine heterogeneity (check if studies are alike)
Draw two graphs
Determine if studies have differences/heterogeneity
Use statistical packages, both paid and free

Heterogeneity

Develop statistical heterogeneity tests.
Perform visual inspection using a Forest plot.
Use meta-regression to examine and interpret heterogeneity.
Review units of regression.
Review dependent and independent variables.

Publication Bias

Examine possible publication bias (studies with positive results are more likely to be published, which gives a biased result).
Use funnel plots.
Consider other approaches to address or mitigate this issue.

Report Results/Discussion

Report an abstract including background, method, conclusions, and significance.
Report method section with sources, restrictions, and inclusion/exclusion criteria.
Report results (flow of studies, characteristics, quantitative synthesis of results).
Report discussion highlighting results with funnel plots, forest plots, and summaries.
Report limitations as appropriate.

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Description

This quiz provides an essential understanding of narrative reviews and meta-analysis, focusing on step-by-step guidance through various types of literature reviews. Learn about different knowledge synthesis methods and the sources that constitute literature. The quiz is aimed at enhancing your grasp of evaluating current knowledge in multiple fields.