The Meta-Plot: A graphical tool for interpreting the results of a meta-analysis

Marcel A.L.M. Van Assen; Olmo R. Van Den Akker; Hilde E.M. Augusteijn; Marjan Bakker; Michèle B. Nuijten; Anton Olsson-Collentine; Andrea H. Stoevenbelt; Jelte M. Wicherts; Robbie C.M. Van Aert

doi:10.1027/2151-2604/a000513

The Meta-Plot: A graphical tool for interpreting the results of a meta-analysis

Marcel A.L.M. Van Assen
, Olmo R. Van Den Akker
, Hilde E.M. Augusteijn
, Marjan Bakker
, Michèle B. Nuijten
, Anton Olsson-Collentine
, Andrea H. Stoevenbelt
, Jelte M. Wicherts
, Robbie C.M. Van Aert^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)

207 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

The meta-plot is a descriptive visual tool for meta-analysis that provides information on the primary studies in the meta-analysis and the results of the meta-analysis. More precisely, the meta-plot portrays (1) the precision and statistical power of the primary studies in themetaanalysis, (2) the estimate and confidence interval of a random-effects meta-analysis, (3) the results of a cumulative random-effects metaanalysis yielding a robustness check of the meta-analytic effect size with respect to primary studies' precision, and (4) evidence of publication bias. After explaining the underlying logic and theory, the meta-plot is applied to two cherry-picked meta-analyses that appear to be biased and to 10 randomly selected meta-analyses from the psychological literature. We recommend accompanying any meta-analysis of common effect size measures with the meta-plot.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	65-78
Number of pages	14
Journal	Zeitschrift fur Psychologie / Journal of Psychology
Volume	231
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1027/2151-2604/a000513
Publication status	Published - 2023

Keywords

cumulative meta-analysis
funnel plot
meta-analysis
publication bias
statistical power

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MTO v Assen the Meta-Plot ZfP JoP 2023Final published version, 738 KBLicence: CC BY

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Van Assen, M. A. L. M., Van Den Akker, O. R., Augusteijn, H. E. M., Bakker, M., Nuijten, M. B., Olsson-Collentine, A., Stoevenbelt, A. H., Wicherts, J. M., & Van Aert, R. C. M. (2023). The Meta-Plot: A graphical tool for interpreting the results of a meta-analysis. Zeitschrift fur Psychologie / Journal of Psychology, 231(1), 65-78. https://doi.org/10.1027/2151-2604/a000513

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title = "The Meta-Plot: A graphical tool for interpreting the results of a meta-analysis",

abstract = "The meta-plot is a descriptive visual tool for meta-analysis that provides information on the primary studies in the meta-analysis and the results of the meta-analysis. More precisely, the meta-plot portrays (1) the precision and statistical power of the primary studies in themetaanalysis, (2) the estimate and confidence interval of a random-effects meta-analysis, (3) the results of a cumulative random-effects metaanalysis yielding a robustness check of the meta-analytic effect size with respect to primary studies' precision, and (4) evidence of publication bias. After explaining the underlying logic and theory, the meta-plot is applied to two cherry-picked meta-analyses that appear to be biased and to 10 randomly selected meta-analyses from the psychological literature. We recommend accompanying any meta-analysis of common effect size measures with the meta-plot.",

keywords = "cumulative meta-analysis, funnel plot, meta-analysis, publication bias, statistical power",

author = "\{Van Assen\}, \{Marcel A.L.M.\} and \{Van Den Akker\}, \{Olmo R.\} and Augusteijn, \{Hilde E.M.\} and Marjan Bakker and Nuijten, \{Mich{\`e}le B.\} and Anton Olsson-Collentine and Stoevenbelt, \{Andrea H.\} and Wicherts, \{Jelte M.\} and \{Van Aert\}, \{Robbie C.M.\}",

note = "The appendices of this paper are available in the online appendices in PsychArchives at https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.12520 (van Assen et al., 2023a). The R code and data are available on the Open Science Framework at https://osf.io/eayfr/ (van Assen et al., 2023b).",

year = "2023",

doi = "10.1027/2151-2604/a000513",

language = "English",

volume = "231",

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AU - Augusteijn, Hilde E.M.

AU - Bakker, Marjan

AU - Nuijten, Michèle B.

AU - Olsson-Collentine, Anton

AU - Stoevenbelt, Andrea H.

AU - Wicherts, Jelte M.

AU - Van Aert, Robbie C.M.

N1 - The appendices of this paper are available in the online appendices in PsychArchives at https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.12520 (van Assen et al., 2023a). The R code and data are available on the Open Science Framework at https://osf.io/eayfr/ (van Assen et al., 2023b).

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N2 - The meta-plot is a descriptive visual tool for meta-analysis that provides information on the primary studies in the meta-analysis and the results of the meta-analysis. More precisely, the meta-plot portrays (1) the precision and statistical power of the primary studies in themetaanalysis, (2) the estimate and confidence interval of a random-effects meta-analysis, (3) the results of a cumulative random-effects metaanalysis yielding a robustness check of the meta-analytic effect size with respect to primary studies' precision, and (4) evidence of publication bias. After explaining the underlying logic and theory, the meta-plot is applied to two cherry-picked meta-analyses that appear to be biased and to 10 randomly selected meta-analyses from the psychological literature. We recommend accompanying any meta-analysis of common effect size measures with the meta-plot.

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KW - funnel plot

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KW - statistical power

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The Meta-Plot: A graphical tool for interpreting the results of a meta-analysis

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Keywords

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The meta-plot: A graphical tool for interpreting the results of a meta-analysis

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