Meta-Analysis and Systematic Reviews: Aggregating Research Results

Abstract

Step 3 of the evidence-based practice (EBP) decision-making process is to critically evaluate the relevant research on your topic. In the previous two chapters, we have examined the role of research design and other methodological issues in evaluating individual practice research reports. These chapters explored how researchers design and report individual research studies in a rigorous manner. Yet in many circumstances, multiple research studies are available on a specific practice topic. In this chapter, we will explore how researchers undertake studies that aggregate the results of several separate studies on a single topic.