Doing Meta-Analysis with R: Motivation, Concept and Features of an Open-Source Guide for Beginners
Abstract
Meta-analytic methods have become an indispensable tool in many research disciplines. Worldwide, students and applied researchers acquire meta-analytic skills to address scientific questions pertinent to their field. Along with its extensions, R now arguably provides the most comprehensive, state-of-the-art toolkit for conducting meta-analyses. For novices, however, this wealth of R-based tools is often difficult to navigate and translate into practice, which may limit the uptake of available infrastructure. The “Doing Meta-Analysis with R” guide is one example of a project aiming to facilitate access to the R meta-analysis universe. It is primarily geared towards individuals without prior knowledge of R, meta-analysis, or both. We present the motivation, teaching concept, and core features of the guide. A brief overview of the technical implementation as an online, open-source resource based on {bookdown}, {shiny} and GitHub is also provided. Lastly, we discuss potential limitations of our approach, point to other user-friendly tools for new meta-analysts, and share general ideas to make the R meta-analysis infrastructure more accessible for everyone.
Slides
