Meta Analysis

DEC 2 COURSE FULL- Please register for April 6

Brief Description:

This course will explain meta analysis - the methods that are used to assess multiple statistical studies on the same subject and draw conclusions. Dr. Rothstein will be the primary discussion leader for this course.

Instructor(s):
Level: Intermediate

Who Should Take This Course:

Researchers who plan to perform a meta-analysis, or who want to be able understand meta-analyses that have been published by others.

Dates:
April 06, 2012 to May 04, 2012July 20, 2012 to August 17, 2012November 30, 2012 to January 04, 2013
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Registration:
Please read the syllabus tab, noting the prerequisites, text and software requirements.

Register Online -$499
Register Online -$429 (you must be affiliated with a college, university or high school)

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Meta Analysis

Aim of Course:

Meta-Analysis refers to the statistical analyses that are used to synthesize summary data from a series of studies. If the effect size (or treatment effect) is consistent across all the studies in the synthesis, then the meta-analysis yields a combined effect that is more precise than any of the separate estimates, and also allows us to conclude that the effect is robust across the kinds of studies sampled. By contrast, if the effect size (or treatment effect) varies from one study to the next, the meta-analysis may allow us to identify the reason for the variation and report (for example) that the treatment is more effective in a particular kind of patient, or in a particular dose range.

In this course we will discuss the logic of meta-analysis and the way that it is being used in many fields, including medicine, education, social science, ecology, business, and others. Participants will learn how to conduct a meta-analysis (how to compute an effect size, compute summary effects, assess heterogeneity of effects, test for differences in effect size across subgroups, and more). We will also discuss various controversies in meta-analysis (such as the question of mixing apples and oranges, the criticism of garbage-in-garbage-out). We will also draw on recent headline-making analyses such as the Avandia meta-analysis.

Participants will get hands-on experience in performing analyses using Excel(tm) and also using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA). All participants will have access to a free trial of CMA for the duration of the course. At the conclusion of the course, all participants should feel comfortable conducting a meta-analysis from start to finish using this or other software.

Prerequisite(s):

• Survey of Statistics for Beginners, or Introduction to Statistics for Beginners
• Introduction to Statistics 1: Sampling and Inference
• Introduction to Statistics 2: Working with Bivariate Data)

If you are unclear as to whether you have mastered the requirements, test yourself with these placement exams here.

Familiarity with the issues of Sample Size and Power Determination (another statistics.com course) is also helpful.

Course Program:

SESSION 1:

• What is meta analysis
  • Meta analysis in various fields
  • Meta analysis in medicine: Saving heart attack patients
  • Meta analysis in education: Some examples
  • Meta analysis in criminal justice: The "Scared Straight" jail program
• The role of meta analysis
  • In planning research
  • In setting policy
• Organizations for evidence-based policy
  • The Cochrane Collaboration (medicine)
  • The Campbell Collaboration (social science)
• Computing a treatment effect
  • Focusing on treatment effects rather than p-values
  • From binary data
  • From continuous data
  • From correlational data
• Computing an overall effect
  • Weighted means
  • Basic statistics
• Forest plots
  • Basic issues

SESSION 2:

• Heterogeneity among effect sizes
  • Assessing heterogeneity
• Fixed effect vs. random effects models
  • Conceptual differences between these models
  • Computational formulas for these models

SESSION 3:

• Understanding differences in treatment effects
  • Moderator variables
  • Analysis of variance
  • Meta regression
• Forest Plot
  • Advanced issues

SESSION 4:

• Publication bias
  • Funnel plots
• Multiple subgroups within studies
• Multiple outcomes within studies
• Common criticisms of meta analysis
  • Apples and Oranges
  • Garbage in, Garbage out
  • Discrepancies between randomized trials and meta analyses

Organization of the Course:

This course takes place over the internet, at statistics.com for 4 weeks. During each course week, you participate at times of your own choosing - there are no set times when you must be online. Course participants will be given access to a private discussion board. In class discussions led by the instructor, you can post questions, seek clarification, and interact with your fellow students and the instructor.

The course typically requires 15 hours per week. At the beginning of each week, you receive the relevant material, in addition to answers to exercises from the previous session. During the week, you are expected to go over the course materials, work through exercises, and submit answers. Discussion among participants is encouraged. The instructor will provide answers and comments, and you will receive individual feedback on your homework answers.

Credit:
Students come to The Institute for a variety of reasons:

1. You may be interested only in learning the material presented, and not be concerned with grades or a record of completion.
2. You may be enrolled in PASS (Program in Advanced Statistical Studies) that requires demonstration of proficiency in the subject, in which case your work will be assessed for a grade.
3. You may require a "Record of Course Completion," along with professional development credit in the form of Continuing Education Units (CEU's).

As you begin the class, you will be asked to specify your category.

This course offers continuing education units (CEU's). For those successfully completing the course (generally this means marks of 50% or better on the homework), 5.0 CEU's and a record of course completion will be issued by Statistics.com, upon request.

Course Text:

The required course text is Introduction to Meta-Analysis, by Borenstein, Hedges and Higgins (Wiley, 2009). You can order an eBook of this text directly from the publisher here. Wiley typically offers statistics.com customers up to 15% discount on this book (and all other statistics titles): enter the code aff15 in the Promotion Code field when prompted during checkout and click the Apply Discount button. (If you are located in Asia, the web procedure for your location may not accept this discount -- try calling your regional Wiley representative.).

Software:

Class illustrations will be provided in the software program Comprehensive Meta Analysis (click here for details on how to get access to a special version). Please be aware that this software program is for Windows only, and will not run on Macs.

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Meta Analysis

Instructor(s):
Dates:
April 06, 2012 to May 04, 2012July 20, 2012 to August 17, 2012November 30, 2012 to January 04, 2013
Course Fee: $499
Academic Discounted Rate: $429

Before registering, please read the syllabus tab, noting the prerequisites, text and software requirements. When you click the register button, you will be taken to our secure transaction page.

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