Meta Analysis

taught by Hannah Rothstein
and Michael Borenstein

APR 6 course is FULL - Register for July 20 course now

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.

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

Meta Analysis

taught by Hannah Rothstein
and Michael Borenstein

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Meta Analysis

taught by Hannah Rothstein
and Michael Borenstein

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.

This course is a core requirement or elective in the following Program(s) in Analytics and Statistical Studies (PASS):

• Biostatistics - Controlled Trials

• Biostatistics - Epidemiology

• Social Science

If you are unclear as to whether you have mastered the requirements, try these placement tests here.

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

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

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

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

• 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

HOMEWORK:

Homework in this course consists of short answer questions to test concepts and guided data analysis problems using software.

This course takes place over the internet at the Institute 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 at the end of the week, you will receive individual feedback on your homework answers.

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 (Programs in Analytics and 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).  For those successfully completing the course, 5.0 CEU's and a record of course completion will be issued by The Institute, upon request.

The required text for this course is Introduction to Meta-Analysis, by Borenstein, Hedges and Higgins, and it can be ordered from Wiley by clicking 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.). The text is also available as an “e-book”.

PLEASE ORDER YOUR COPY IN TIME FOR THE COURSE STARTING DATE.

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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