The Use of Prospective Meta-Analysis

Year 2018, Volume: 4 Issue: 3, 47 - 52, 27.12.2018

Tarık Yarılgaç

https://doi.org/10.19127/mbsjohs.497064

Abstract

Meta-analysis is a powerful statistical instrument to
summarize the knowledge in a research field, and to estimate overall measures
of effects based on reported or unreported results. In performing meta-analysis
is generally used the results of the reported trials. Knowing the results
before the meta-analysis may affect the description of the review query, the
entry and exclusion specifications because the researchers may also be
prejudiced in selecting favor of reports supportive for their own thoughts.
With these problems the retrospective meta-analysis is becoming a controversial
tool in terms of “bias”. The prospective meta-analysis can cope with these
problems of the retrospective meta-analysis. A prospective meta-analysis is a
type of next-generation systematic reviews where studies are investigated to be
eligible before reporting their original studies. Prospective Meta-Analysis is
unaware of the results of all studies because of the prospective identification
and application of selection criteria for trials. In this paper, it is aimed to
give information about Prospective Meta-Analysis, and to promote the use.

Keywords

Meta-Analysis, Prospective Meta-Analysis, Randomized controlled trial, Publication bias, Researcher bias

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