A Review of Meta-Analysis Packages in R

• In Event: Poster Session 5
  In Poster Session: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis SIG Poster Session 1

Abstract

A fast-growing market for meta-analytic software is R. Despite the pervasive availability of meta-analytic R packages, only a small number of publications have examined the abilities of these packages, and no review to date has comprehensively cataloged each package. As such, the purpose of this project is to delineate the scope and breadth of meta-analytic R packages.

To answer these questions, we conducted a systematic review of meta-analytic R packages using various R aggregators. The search process yielded 56 unique contributions. The results revealed a diverse set of packages; however, we suggest future packages should focus on 1) power analyses, 2) graphics and plotting, and 3) effect size calculations for non-traditional measures.

Authors

• Joshua R. Polanin, Development Services Group

• Emily A Fisher, Vanderbilt Peabody College

• Emily Tanner-Smith, Vanderbilt University