Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34544368›Full record

SynthesisBMC medical research methodology2021

Conducting proportional meta-analysis in different types of systematic reviews: a guide for synthesisers of evidence.

Timothy Hugh Barker, Celina Borges Migliavaca, Cinara Stein, Verônica Colpani, Maicon Falavigna, Edoardo Aromataris, Zachary Munn

Abstract readLetterMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC medical research methodology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 354 papers, 124 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
354citing papers in PubMed, 124 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

354 citing papers in PubMed, 124 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  4. Prevalence of Professional Interpreter Use in Emergency Departments: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine · 2026
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  6. Ventricular pulsed field ablation from bench to bedside: preclinical and clinical evidence from a systematic review and meta-analysis.Europace : European pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac electrophysiology : journal of the working groups on cardiac pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac cellular electrophysiology of the European Society of Cardiology · 2026
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294 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Timothy Hugh BarkerJBI, The University of Adelaide, 55 King William Rd, North Adelaide, SA, 5006, Australia. timothy.barker@adelaide.edu.au.ORCID 0000-0002-6897-814X
Celina Borges MigliavacaPrograma de Pós-Graduação em Epidemiologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Cinara SteinHospital Moinhos de Vento, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Verônica ColpaniHospital Moinhos de Vento, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Maicon FalavignaPrograma de Pós-Graduação em Epidemiologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Edoardo AromatarisJBI, The University of Adelaide, 55 King William Rd, North Adelaide, SA, 5006, Australia.
Zachary MunnJBI, The University of Adelaide, 55 King William Rd, North Adelaide, SA, 5006, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSingle group data present unique challenges for synthesises of evidence. Proportional meta-analysis is becoming an increasingly common technique employed for the synthesis of single group data. Proportional meta-analysis shares many similarities with the conduct and reporting of comparative, or pairwise, meta-analysis. While robust and comprehensive methods exist detailing how researchers can conduct a meta-analysis that compares two (or more) groups against a common intervention, there is a scarcity of methodological guidance available to assist synthesisers of evidence in the conduct, interpretation, and importance of proportional meta-analysis in systematic reviews. MAIN BODY: This paper presents an overview targeted to synthesisers of evidence and systematic review authors that details the methods, importance, and interpretation of a proportional meta-analysis. We provide worked examples of how proportional meta-analyses have been conducted in research syntheses previously and consider the methods, statistical considerations, and presentation of this technique.

conclusionThis overview is designed to serve as practical guidance for synthesisers of evidence in the conduct of proportional meta-analyses.

Indexed as

Research DesignResearch PersonnelHumansSystematic Reviews as Topicmeta-analysisProportional meta-analysisResearch synthesisSystematic reviews

Identifiers

PMID34544368
PMCPMC8451728

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.