The Handbook of Research Synthesis and Meta-Analysis / Edition 2

by Harris Cooper, Larry V. Hedges, Jeffrey C. Valentine

Overview

Praise for the first edition: "The Handbook is a comprehensive treatment of literature synthesis and provides practical advice for anyone deep in the throes of, just teetering on the brink of, or attempting to decipher a meta-analysis. Given the expanding application and importance of literature synthesis, understanding both its strengths and weaknesses is essential for its practitioners and consumers. This volume is a good beginning for those who wish to gain that understanding." —Chance "Meta-analysis, as the statistical analysis of a large collection of results from individual studies is called, has now achieved a status of respectability in medicine. This respectability, when combined with the slight hint of mystique that sometimes surrounds meta-analysis, ensures that results of studies that use it are treated with the respect they deserve….The Handbook of Research Synthesis is one of the most important publications in this subject both as a definitive reference book and a practical manual."—British Medical Journal When the first edition of The Handbook of Research Synthesis was published in 1994, it quickly became the definitive reference for researchers conducting meta-analyses of existing research in both the social and biological sciences. In this fully revised second edition, editors Harris Cooper, Larry Hedges, and Jeff Valentine present updated versions of the Handbook's classic chapters, as well as entirely new sections reporting on the most recent, cutting-edge developments in the field. Research synthesis is the practice of systematically distilling and integrating data from a variety of sources in order to draw more reliable conclusions about a given question or topic. The Handbook of Research Synthesis and Meta-Analysis draws upon years of groundbreaking advances that have transformed research synthesis from a narrative craft into an important scientific process in its own right. Cooper, Hedges, and Valentine have assembled leading authorities in the field to guide the reader through every stage of the research synthesis process—problem formulation, literature search and evaluation, statistical integration, and report preparation. The Handbook of Research Synthesis and Meta-Analysis incorporates state-of-the-art techniques from all quantitative synthesis traditions. Distilling a vast technical literature and many informal sources, the Handbook provides a portfolio of the most effective solutions to the problems of quantitative data integration. Among the statistical issues addressed by the authors are the synthesis of non-independent data sets, fixed and random effects methods, the performance of sensitivity analyses and model assessments, and the problem of missing data. The Handbook of Research Synthesis and Meta-Analysis also provides a rich treatment of the non-statistical aspects of research synthesis. Topics include searching the literature, and developing schemes for gathering information from study reports. Those engaged in research synthesis will also find useful advice on how tables, graphs, and narration can be used to provide the most meaningful communication of the results of research synthesis. In addition, the editors address the potentials and limitations of research synthesis, and its future directions. The past decade has been a period of enormous growth in the field of research synthesis. The second edition Handbook thoroughly revises original chapters to assure that the volume remains the most authoritative source of information for researchers undertaking meta-analysis today. In response to the increasing use of research synthesis in the formation of public policy, the second edition includes a new chapter on both the strengths and limitations of research synthesis in policy debates

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780871541635
Publisher:	Russell Sage Foundation
Publication date:	02/05/2009
Edition description:	Older Edition
Pages:	632
Product dimensions:	7.80(w) x 9.50(h) x 1.40(d)

About the Author

HARRIS COOPER is professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University. LARRY V. HEDGES is Board of Trustees Professor of Statistics and Social Policy, and Faculty Fellow, Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University. JEFFREY C. VALENTINE is assistant professor, Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology, College of Education and Human Development, University of Louisville. CONTRIBUTORS: Pam M. Baxter, Betsy Jane Becker, Jesse A. Berlin, Michael Borenstein, Geoffrey D. Borman, Brad J. Bushman, Mike Clarke, Thomas D. Cook, Harris Cooper, David S. Cordray, Alice H. Eagly, Joseph L. Fleiss, Leon J. Gleser, Joel B. Greenhouse, Jeffrey A. Grigg, C. Keith Haddock, Larry V. Hedges, Sally Hopewell, Satish Iyengar, Spyros Konstantopoulos, Huy Le, Mark W. Lipsey, Georg E. Matt, Paul Morphy, Ingram Olkin, Robert G. Orwin, Therese D. Pigott, Stephen W. Raudenbush, Jeffrey G. Reed, Hannah R. Rothstein, Frank L. Schmidt, William R. Shadish, Alex J. Sutton, Jeffrey C. Valentine, Jack L. Vevea, Morgan C. Wang, Howard D. White, David B. Wilson, and Wendy Wood.

Table of Contents

About the Authors ix

Part I Introduction 1

1 Research Synthesis as a Scientific Process Harris Cooper Larry V. Hedges Jeffrey C. Valentine 3

Part II Formulating a Problem 17

2 Hypotheses and Problems in Research Synthesis Harris Cooper 19

3 Statistical Considerations Larry V. Hedges 37

Part III Searching the Literature 49

4 Scientific Communication and Literature Retrieval Howard D. White 51

5 Searching Bibliographic Databases Julie Glanville 73

6 Retrieving Grey Literature, Information, and Data in the Digital Age Dean Giustini 101

Part IV Coding the Literature 127

7 Incorporating Judgments About Study Quality into Research Syntheses Jeffrey C. Valentine 129

8 Identifying Potentially Interesting Variables and Analysis Opportunities Mark W. Lipsey 141

9 Systematic Coding for Research Synthesis David B. Wilson 153

10 Evaluating Coding Decisions Jack L. Vevea Nicole A. M. Zelinsky Robert G. Orwin 173

Part V Statistically Describing and Combining Study Outcomes 205

11 Effect Sizes for Meta-Analysis Michael Borenstein Larry V. Hedges 207

12 Statistically Analyzing Effect Sizes: Fixed- and Random-Effects Models Spyros Konstantopoulos Larry V. Hedges 245

13 Stochastically Dependent Effect Sizes Larry V. Hedges 281

14 Bayesian Meta-Analysis Rebecca M. Turner Julian P. T. Higgins 299

15 Correcting for the Distorting Effects of Study Artifacts in Meta-Analysis and Second Order Meta-Analysis Frank L. Schmidt Huy Le In-Sue Oh 315

16 Model-Based Meta-Analysis and Related Approaches Betsy Jane Becker Ariel M. Aloe 339

Part VI Data Diagnostics 365

17 Missing Data in Meta-Analysis Terri D. Pigott 367

18 Publication Bias Jack L. Vevea Kathleen Coburn Alexander Sutton 383

Part VII Data Interpretation 431

19 Interpreting Effect Sizes Jeffrey C. Valentine Ariel M. Aloe Sandra Jo Wilson 433

20 Heterogeneity in Meta-Analysis Michael Borenstein 453

Part VIII Summary 469

21 Transparent Reporting: Registrations, Protocols, and Final Reports Evan Mayo-Wilson Sean Grant 471

22 Threats to the Validity of Generalized Inferences from Research Syntheses Georg E. Matt Thomas D. Cook 489

23 Potentials and Limitations of Research Synthesis Harris Cooper Larry V. Hedges Jeffrey C. Valentine 517

Glossary 527

Index 539

Editorial Reviews

Praise for the Previous Edition

“As someone who is highly involved in conducting meta-analyses and teaching meta-analysis to students, I can say that this handbook has a chapter on every issue that arises. Each chapter is written by a major expert in the field and provides authoritative answers. The Handbook of Research Synthesis and Meta-Analysis is a must-have for anyone working on meta-analysis.”

—JANET SHIBLEY HYDE, Helen Thompson Woolley Professor, University of Wisconsin


“[a] tour de force, an indispensable reference that no meta-analyst will want to be without. It is elegantly organized, encyclopedic in breadth and coverage, and articulate in exposition of the role meta-analysis plays in advancing the cumulative nature of knowledge. [The book] is destined to become a classic . . . highly recommended and a must for any serious student or practitioner of the research enterprise.”

—FREDERIC M. WOLF, Learning Resource Center, University of Michigan

From the Publisher