Synthesising results of meta-analyses to inform policy: a comparison of fast-track methods
Abstract Statistical synthesis of data sets (meta-analysis, MA) has become a popular approach for providing scientific evidence to inform environmental and agricultural policy. As the number of published MAs is increasing exponentially, multiple MAs are now often available on a specific topic, deliv...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2023-08-01
|
| Series: | Environmental Evidence |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13750-023-00309-y |
| _version_ | 1797453885260955648 |
|---|---|
| author | David Makowski Rui Catarino Mathilde Chen Simona Bosco Ana Montero-Castaño Marta Pérez-Soba Andrea Schievano Giovanni Tamburini |
| author_facet | David Makowski Rui Catarino Mathilde Chen Simona Bosco Ana Montero-Castaño Marta Pérez-Soba Andrea Schievano Giovanni Tamburini |
| author_sort | David Makowski |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Statistical synthesis of data sets (meta-analysis, MA) has become a popular approach for providing scientific evidence to inform environmental and agricultural policy. As the number of published MAs is increasing exponentially, multiple MAs are now often available on a specific topic, delivering sometimes conflicting conclusions. To synthesise several MAs, a first approach is to extract the primary data of all the MAs and make a new MA of all data. However, this approach is not always compatible with the short period of time available to respond to a specific policy request. An alternative, and faster, approach is to synthesise the results of the MAs directly, without going back to the primary data. However, the reliability of this approach is not well known. In this paper, we evaluate three fast-track methods for synthesising the results of MAs without using the primary data. The performances of these methods are then compared to a global MA of primary data. Results show that two of the methods tested can yield similar conclusions when compared to global MA of primary data, especially when the level of redundancy between MAs is low. We show that the use of biased MAs can reduce the reliability of the conclusions derived from these methods. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T15:29:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-72f137b24b9a42a897287b5458c91b52 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2047-2382 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T15:29:20Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Evidence |
| spelling | doaj.art-72f137b24b9a42a897287b5458c91b522023-11-26T12:22:16ZengBMCEnvironmental Evidence2047-23822023-08-0112111410.1186/s13750-023-00309-ySynthesising results of meta-analyses to inform policy: a comparison of fast-track methodsDavid Makowski0Rui Catarino1Mathilde Chen2Simona Bosco3Ana Montero-Castaño4Marta Pérez-Soba5Andrea Schievano6Giovanni Tamburini7Unit Applied Mathematics and Computer Science (MIA Paris-Saclay), INRAE AgroParisTech Université Paris-SaclayEuropean Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC)Unit Applied Mathematics and Computer Science (MIA Paris-Saclay), INRAE AgroParisTech Université Paris-SaclayEuropean Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC)European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC)European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC)European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC)Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences (DiSSPA – Entomology and Zoology), University of BariAbstract Statistical synthesis of data sets (meta-analysis, MA) has become a popular approach for providing scientific evidence to inform environmental and agricultural policy. As the number of published MAs is increasing exponentially, multiple MAs are now often available on a specific topic, delivering sometimes conflicting conclusions. To synthesise several MAs, a first approach is to extract the primary data of all the MAs and make a new MA of all data. However, this approach is not always compatible with the short period of time available to respond to a specific policy request. An alternative, and faster, approach is to synthesise the results of the MAs directly, without going back to the primary data. However, the reliability of this approach is not well known. In this paper, we evaluate three fast-track methods for synthesising the results of MAs without using the primary data. The performances of these methods are then compared to a global MA of primary data. Results show that two of the methods tested can yield similar conclusions when compared to global MA of primary data, especially when the level of redundancy between MAs is low. We show that the use of biased MAs can reduce the reliability of the conclusions derived from these methods.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13750-023-00309-yAgricultural policyBiasFalse discoveryFast-track synthesisMeta-analysisVote counting |
| spellingShingle | David Makowski Rui Catarino Mathilde Chen Simona Bosco Ana Montero-Castaño Marta Pérez-Soba Andrea Schievano Giovanni Tamburini Synthesising results of meta-analyses to inform policy: a comparison of fast-track methods Environmental Evidence Agricultural policy Bias False discovery Fast-track synthesis Meta-analysis Vote counting |
| title | Synthesising results of meta-analyses to inform policy: a comparison of fast-track methods |
| title_full | Synthesising results of meta-analyses to inform policy: a comparison of fast-track methods |
| title_fullStr | Synthesising results of meta-analyses to inform policy: a comparison of fast-track methods |
| title_full_unstemmed | Synthesising results of meta-analyses to inform policy: a comparison of fast-track methods |
| title_short | Synthesising results of meta-analyses to inform policy: a comparison of fast-track methods |
| title_sort | synthesising results of meta analyses to inform policy a comparison of fast track methods |
| topic | Agricultural policy Bias False discovery Fast-track synthesis Meta-analysis Vote counting |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13750-023-00309-y |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT davidmakowski synthesisingresultsofmetaanalysestoinformpolicyacomparisonoffasttrackmethods AT ruicatarino synthesisingresultsofmetaanalysestoinformpolicyacomparisonoffasttrackmethods AT mathildechen synthesisingresultsofmetaanalysestoinformpolicyacomparisonoffasttrackmethods AT simonabosco synthesisingresultsofmetaanalysestoinformpolicyacomparisonoffasttrackmethods AT anamonterocastano synthesisingresultsofmetaanalysestoinformpolicyacomparisonoffasttrackmethods AT martaperezsoba synthesisingresultsofmetaanalysestoinformpolicyacomparisonoffasttrackmethods AT andreaschievano synthesisingresultsofmetaanalysestoinformpolicyacomparisonoffasttrackmethods AT giovannitamburini synthesisingresultsofmetaanalysestoinformpolicyacomparisonoffasttrackmethods |