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

Tilburg University

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

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 - Feb 2023

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Hogrefe Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. All rights reserved.

Funding

This research was supported by the European Research Council, Grant Number: 726361 (IMPROVE).

Funders	Funder number
European Research Council	726361

Keywords

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

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van-assen-et-al-2023-the-meta-plotFinal published version, 738 KBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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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The Meta-Plot: A Graphical Tool for Interpreting the Results of a Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

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