studyadding

Studyadding is a methodological approach in which researchers systematically augment a study by integrating findings, methods, and limitations from existing related studies into the current research design and interpretation. The goal is to produce a more contextualized, evidence-informed analysis rather than treating the study as an isolated project. The term is a neologism that appears in contemporary scholarly discussions and lacks a universally accepted definition; practitioners may differ in how aggressively they apply it.

Process involves a structured literature examination aligned with the study’s scope. Researchers perform predefined searches to identify relevant work, apply inclusion criteria, and extract key elements such as design, variables, sample characteristics, effect sizes, limitations, and methodological innovations. These elements are then incorporated into the current study’s design decisions, hypothesis formulation, measurement choices, and power considerations. Findings from related studies are mapped onto a formal evidence frame, such as an evidence matrix, and documented in methods and discussion to reveal how prior results inform current reasoning. Studyadding emphasizes integration over citation, distinguishing itself from traditional literature reviews or meta-analyses by actively shaping methods and interpretation.

Applications and tools span the sciences, including psychology, education research, social sciences, and health sciences, as well as software engineering and policy evaluation. Practitioners may use evidence mapping, structured literature reviews, data cards, annotation schemes, and version-control or note-keeping tools to track integrations.

Benefits include better contextualization, transparency of reasoning, and potential bias mitigation through explicit consideration of prior work. Limitations involve time cost, potential for subjective bias in choosing which studies to emphasize, and the risk of overfitting current design to existing findings. Mitigation strategies include preregistration, explicit protocols, multiple reviewers, and thorough documentation.