metaanalyyysiä

Metaanalyysiä, or meta-analysis in English, is a statistical technique used to combine the results of multiple independent studies addressing the same research question. It provides a quantitative summary of the available evidence, aiming to increase statistical power and precision compared to individual studies. The process typically involves defining a clear research question, systematically searching for relevant studies, assessing their quality and eligibility, extracting key data, and then statistically pooling these data using specific algorithms. The result is often a single estimate of the effect size, along with a measure of its uncertainty, such as a confidence interval. Meta-analysis can help resolve conflicting findings between studies, identify patterns and sources of variation, and provide a more robust conclusion than any single study could offer. It is widely used in fields like medicine, psychology, and social sciences to synthesize existing research.