SynthesisEcology letters2023
A robust and readily implementable method for the meta-analysis of response ratios with and without missing standard deviations.
Synthesis in Ecology letters, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 29 papers, 18 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
29 citing papers in PubMed, 18 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- The Effects of Ocean Warming and Acidification on Fatty Acid Contents of Marine Organisms: A Global Meta-Analysis.Global change biology · 2026Pooled it
- Excision increases branch water potential but generally reduces leaf gas exchange.Tree physiology · 2026Pooled it
- Meta-analysis shows that plant mixtures reduce pathogens and invertebrate herbivores and increase plant productivity.Nature communications · 2026Pooled it
- The Resistance Training Dose Response: Meta-Regressions Exploring the Effects of Weekly Volume and Frequency on Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength Gains.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2026Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Effects of Biodiversity Loss on Freshwater Ecosystem Functions Increase With the Number of Stressors.Global change biology · 2025Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Rapamycin, Not Metformin, Mirrors Dietary Restriction-Driven Lifespan Extension in Vertebrates: A Meta-Analysis.Aging cell · 2025Pooled it
- Proximal Articular Set Angle Correction with the Reverdin-Isham Osteotomy in Mild and Moderate Hallux Valgus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2025Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Elevated COFrontiers in plant science · 2025Pooled it
- Nitrogen addition substantially affects plant phenology in terrestrial ecosystems: a meta-analysis.Frontiers in plant science · 2025Pooled it
- Global meta-analysis reveals overall higher nocturnal than diurnal activity in insect communities.Nature communications · 2024Pooled it
- Dung beetles increase plant growth: a meta-analysis.Proceedings. Biological sciences · 2024Pooled it
- Meta-analysis reveals that vertebrates enhance plant litter decomposition at the global scale.Nature ecology & evolution · 2024Pooled it
- Biochar improves the nutrient cycle in sandy-textured soils and increases crop yield: a systematic review.Environmental evidence · 2024Pooled it
- The Eccentric:Concentric Strength Ratio of Human Skeletal Muscle In Vivo: Meta-analysis of the Influences of Sex, Age, Joint Action, and Velocity.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2023Pooled it
- A robust and readily implementable method for the meta-analysis of response ratios with and without missing standard deviations.Ecology letters · 2023Pooled it
- Clays as Additives in Ruminant Feed: A Quantitative Meta-Analysis of Their Effects on Enteric Methane, Digestion, Health and Productivity.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2026Review
- Ectomycorrhizal fungi in tropical Africa: hidden diversity, spatial turnover, and functional effects on tree growth.Mycorrhiza · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
The log response ratio, lnRR, is the most frequently used effect size statistic for meta-analysis in ecology. However, often missing standard deviations (SDs) prevent estimation of the sampling variance of lnRR. We propose new methods to deal with missing SDs via a weighted average coefficient of variation (CV) estimated from studies in the dataset that do report SDs. Across a suite of simulated conditions, we find that using the average CV to estimate sampling variances for all observations, regardless of missingness, performs with minimal bias. Surprisingly, even with missing SDs, this simple method outperforms the conventional approach (basing each effect size on its individual study-specific CV) with complete data. This is because the conventional method ultimately yields less precise estimates of the sampling variances than using the pooled CV from multiple studies. Our approach is broadly applicable and can be implemented in all meta-analyses of lnRR, regardless of 'missingness'.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
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.