ERIC Number: EJ1251332
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1056-3997
EISSN: N/A
Growth in the Amount of Literature Reviewed in a Meta-Analysis and Reviewer Resources
Harwell, Michael
Mid-Western Educational Researcher, v32 n1 p31-47 2020
Accurate and consistent reviews of documents describing research studies are essential to valid and generalizable inferences in a meta-analysis. Traditionally a small number of reviewers screen studies using the title, abstract, and possibly the full text to determine a study's eligibility for a meta-analysis. This study explores whether reviewing loads and resources to support accurate and consistent reviewing have increased over time. A survey of N = 193 meta-analyses published between 1980-2019 showed that the average number of documents reviewed has increased, especially since 2010, but the typical number of reviewers has not changed over the past 40 years. The importance of meta-analysts providing information about reviewers and the review process to help readers evaluate the validity and generalizability of inferences is emphasized. This information would typically include the number of reviewers and their qualifications, number of titles, abstracts, and full-text documents reviewed, time spent reviewing documents, evidence of the accuracy and consistency of reviews, and the role of software in facilitating reviewing.
Descriptors: Meta Analysis, Educational Research, Resources, Accuracy, Reliability, Change, Periodicals
Mid-Western Educational Research Association. PO Box 702, Athens, OH 45701. Tel: 740-593-0880; e-mail: mwera.ed@gmail.com; e-mail: mwer1316@gmail.com; Web site: http://www.mwera.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Information Analyses
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A