Meta-Analysis: Aiming to Integrate the Evidence

Abstract

Meta-analysis is a statistical method which examines all the combinable studies on a particular subject conducted independently in the past in order to estimate the size of the common effect regarding the same research question, e.g., to estimate the efficacy, toxicity effect and environmental risk of certain treatments. In other words, meta-analysis is a scientific procedure that integrates the evidence obtained all over the world. This paper describes its application to clinical research.