Dynamic meta-analysis: a method of using global evidence for local decision making
File(s)
Author(s)
Type
preprint
Abstract
Meta-analysis is often used to make generalizations across all available evidence at the global scale. But how can these global generalizations be used for evidence-based decision making at the local scale, if only the local evidence is perceived to be relevant to a local decision? We show how an interactive method of meta-analysis-dynamic meta-analysis-can be used to assess the local relevance of global evidence. We developed Metadataset (www.metadataset.com) as an example of dynamic meta-analysis. Using Metadataset, we show how evidence can be filtered and weighted, and results can be recalculated, using dynamic methods of subgroup analysis, meta-regression, and recalibration. With an example from agroecology, we show how dynamic meta-analysis could lead to different conclusions for different subsets of the global evidence. Dynamic meta-analysis could also lead to a rebalancing of power and responsibility in evidence synthesis, since evidence users would be able to make decisions that are typically made by systematic reviewers-decisions about which studies to include (e.g., critical appraisal) and how to handle missing or poorly reported data (e.g., sensitivity analysis). We suggest that dynamic meta-analysis could be
Date Issued
2020-05-20
Citation
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 2020
Journal / Book Title
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Copyright Statement
Copyright © 2020 The Author(s). The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission.
License URL
Identifier
10.1101/2020.05.18.078840
Subjects
applicability
conservation evidence
dynamic meta-analysis
external validity
generalisability
knowledge transfer
recalibration
subject-wide evidence synthesis
systematic reviews
transferability