Meta-analysis does not solve all the problems encountered in qualitative research reviews, but it holds out some hope for increasing the reliability and dependability of a reviewer's conclusions. Several developments in meta-analysis are cause for optimism. First, different meta-analysts are doing work in the same areas, leading to increased confidence in meta-analytic results. Second, meta-analysts are beginning to include their raw data in their reports, helping readers to pinpoint the exact studies that lead to disagreements in conclusions about an area. Third, reviewers are comparing results from unrelated meta-analyses, which will eventually lead to a better understanding of the factors influencing the outcomes of educational research. And finally, some of the worst abuses that have taken place in meta-analysis have now been left behind. (BW)