SynthesisResearch synthesis methods2022
Location-scale models for meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Research synthesis methods, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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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.
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Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- The correlation between social support and hopelessness among cancer survivors: a meta-analysis.Cancer causes & control : CCC · 2026Pooled it
- Obesity and overweight as risk factors for low back pain in children and adolescents: a meta-analysis.International journal of obesity (2005) · 2024Pooled it
- Location-scale models for meta-analysis.Research synthesis methods · 2022Pooled it
- A new approach to quantify isotopic (co)variation across levels of biological organization using double-hierarchical generalized linear models.The Journal of animal ecology · 2026Article
- Fast Estimation and Valid Statistical Inference for Mixed-Effect Location-Scale Models Using Variational Inference.Statistics in medicine · 2026Article
- Reflections on the I-squared index for measuring inconsistency in meta-analysis.Research synthesis methods · 2026Review
- Location-scale models and cross validation to advance quantitative evidence synthesis.Ecology · 2026Article
- Impact of multicomponent physical exercise and high-intensity interval training on osteoporosis in postmenopausal women: protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Systematic reviews · 2025Article
- Under my umbrella: Rating scales obscure statistical power and effect size heterogeneity.Behavior research methods · 2025Article
- Associations Between Social Media Use and Mental Disorders in Adolescents and Young Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Recent Evidence.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Multi-laboratory comparisons of manual patch clamp hERG data generated using standardized protocols and following ICH S7B Q&A 2.1 best practices.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Location-Scale Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression as a Tool to Capture Large-Scale Changes in Biological and Methodological Heterogeneity: A Spotlight on Heteroscedasticity.Global change biology · 2025Article
- Performance of location-scale models in meta-analysis: A simulation study.Behavior research methods · 2025Article
- Bayesian Hierarchical Modeling for Variance Estimation in Biopharmaceutical Processes.Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Meta-regression to explain shrinkage and heterogeneity in large-scale replication projects.PloS one · 2025Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Heterogeneity is commonplace in meta-analysis. When heterogeneity is found, researchers often aim to identify predictors that account for at least part of such heterogeneity by using mixed-effects meta-regression models. Another potentially relevant goal is to focus on the amount of heterogeneity as a function of one or more predictors, but this cannot be examined with standard random- and mixed-effects models, which assume a constant (i.e., homoscedastic) value for the heterogeneity variance component across studies. In this paper, we describe a location-scale model for meta-analysis as an extension of the standard random- and mixed-effects models that not only allows an examination of whether predictors are related to the size of the outcomes (i.e., their location), but also the amount of heterogeneity (i.e., their scale). We present estimation methods for such a location-scale model through maximum and restricted maximum likelihood approaches, as well as methods for inference and suggestions for visualization. We also provide an implementation via the metafor package for R that makes this model readily available to researchers. Location-scale models can provide a useful tool to researchers interested in heterogeneity in meta-analysis, with the potential to enhance the scope of research questions in the field of evidence synthesis.
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Registered trials
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.