Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38627324›Full record

ArticleBehavior research methods2024

What do meta-analysts need in primary studies? Guidelines and the SEMI checklist for facilitating cumulative knowledge.

Belén Fernández-Castilla, Sameh Said-Metwaly, Rodrigo S Kreitchmann, Wim Van Den Noortgate

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Behavior research methods, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 2 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

4 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Article
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

4 authors.

Belén Fernández-Castilla *Faculty of Psychology, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Juan del Rosal 10, 28040, Madrid, Spain. bfcastilla@psi.uned.es.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3451-0637
Sameh Said-Metwaly *Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU, Leuven, Belgium.
Rodrigo S KreitchmannFaculty of Psychology, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Juan del Rosal 10, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
Wim Van Den NoortgateFaculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU, Leuven, Belgium.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Meta-analysis is often recognized as the highest level of evidence due to its notable advantages. Therefore, ensuring the precision of its findings is of utmost importance. Insufficient reporting in primary studies poses challenges for meta-analysts, hindering study identification, effect size estimation, and meta-regression analyses. This manuscript provides concise guidelines for the comprehensive reporting of qualitative and quantitative aspects in primary studies. Adhering to these guidelines may help researchers enhance the quality of their studies and increase their eligibility for inclusion in future research syntheses, thereby enhancing research synthesis quality. Recommendations include incorporating relevant terms in titles and abstracts to facilitate study retrieval and reporting sufficient data for effect size calculation. Additionally, a new checklist is introduced to help applied researchers thoroughly report various aspects of their studies.

Indexed as

ChecklistMeta-Analysis as TopicGuidelines as TopicHumansResearch DesignChecklistCumulative knowledgeMeta-analysis

Identifiers

PMID38627324
PMCPMC11133106

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.