https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=PLLexplain xkcd - User contributions [en]2026-05-20T23:14:27ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.30.0https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1447:_Meta-Analysis&diff=791981447: Meta-Analysis2014-11-14T07:26:15Z<p>PLL: /* Explanation */ added extra pointer to reference, and link to article full text</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1447<br />
| date = November 14, 2014<br />
| title = Meta-Analysis<br />
| image = meta-analysis.png<br />
| titletext = Life goal #29 is to get enough of them rejected that I can publish a comparative analysis of the rejection letters.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
<br />
In the scientific literature, meta-analyses are studies which compare multiple studies on a single topic, with the aim of giving a balanced overview of the known results.<br />
<br />
This comic explores the idea of iterating the process, going from meta-analyses to meta-meta-analyses (which actually exist<ref name="lemeshow">A.R. Lemeshow et al, [http://homepages.ulb.ac.be/~aleveque/epitraumac/pdf-ppt/Article_Recherche_Biblio_atelierYC.pdf Searching one or two databases was insufficient for meta-analysis of observational studies], J. Clim. Epidemiol, 2005</ref>, though not necessarily by that name) and hence to a meta-meta-analysis.<br />
<br />
Of the papers cited as meta-meta-analyses, at least A.R. Lemeshow (2005)<ref name="lemeshow" /> is real; the others presumably are too, but since their authors’ names are less distinctive, they are difficult to identify without full bibliographic data.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
Image of an excerpt from a scientific paper:<br />
<br />
<blockquote><br />
[…] Many meta-analysis studies include the phrase “We searched Medline, Embase, and Cochrane for studies…”<br />
</blockquote><br />
<br />
<blockquote><br />
This has led to meta-meta-analyses comparing meta-analysis methods. e.g. M Sampson (2003), PL Royle (2005), E Lee (2011), AR Lemeshow (2005).<br />
</blockquote><br />
<br />
<blockquote><br />
We performed a meta-meta-meta-analysis of these meta-meta-analyses.<br />
</blockquote><br />
<br />
<blockquote><br />
<u>Methods:</u> We searched Medline, Embase and Cochrane for the phrase “We searched Medline, Embase and Cochrane for the phrase ‘Medline, Embase and Cochrane […]<br />
</blockquote><br />
<br />
Caption:<br />
<br />
Life goal #28: get a paper rejected with the comment “Too meta”<br />
<br />
<references /><br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>PLLhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1447:_Meta-Analysis&diff=791971447: Meta-Analysis2014-11-14T07:23:05Z<p>PLL: /* Transcript */ Added transcript. (Should be a single blockquote, but can’t work out how to get paragraph breaks within a blockquote.)</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1447<br />
| date = November 14, 2014<br />
| title = Meta-Analysis<br />
| image = meta-analysis.png<br />
| titletext = Life goal #29 is to get enough of them rejected that I can publish a comparative analysis of the rejection letters.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
<br />
In the scientific literature, meta-analyses are studies which compare multiple studies on a single topic, with the aim of giving a balanced overview of the known results.<br />
<br />
This comic explores the idea of iterating the process, going from meta-analyses to meta-meta-analyses (which actually exist, though not necessarily by that name) and hence to a meta-meta-analysis.<br />
<br />
Of the papers cited as meta-meta-analyses, at least A.R. Lemeshow (2005)<ref>A.R. Lemeshow et al, Searching one or two databases was insufficient for meta-analysis of observational studies., J. Clim. Epidemiol, 2005</ref> is real; the others presumably are too, but since their authors’ names are less distinctive, they are difficult to identify without full bibliographic data.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
Image of an excerpt from a scientific paper:<br />
<br />
<blockquote><br />
[…] Many meta-analysis studies include the phrase “We searched Medline, Embase, and Cochrane for studies…”<br />
</blockquote><br />
<br />
<blockquote><br />
This has led to meta-meta-analyses comparing meta-analysis methods. e.g. M Sampson (2003), PL Royle (2005), E Lee (2011), AR Lemeshow (2005).<br />
</blockquote><br />
<br />
<blockquote><br />
We performed a meta-meta-meta-analysis of these meta-meta-analyses.<br />
</blockquote><br />
<br />
<blockquote><br />
<u>Methods:</u> We searched Medline, Embase and Cochrane for the phrase “We searched Medline, Embase and Cochrane for the phrase ‘Medline, Embase and Cochrane […]<br />
</blockquote><br />
<br />
Caption:<br />
<br />
Life goal #28: get a paper rejected with the comment “Too meta”<br />
<br />
<references /><br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>PLLhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1447:_Meta-Analysis&diff=791961447: Meta-Analysis2014-11-14T07:12:07Z<p>PLL: Added references section (not sure if correctly placed for this Wiki's conventions)</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1447<br />
| date = November 14, 2014<br />
| title = Meta-Analysis<br />
| image = meta-analysis.png<br />
| titletext = Life goal #29 is to get enough of them rejected that I can publish a comparative analysis of the rejection letters.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
<br />
In the scientific literature, meta-analyses are studies which compare multiple studies on a single topic, with the aim of giving a balanced overview of the known results.<br />
<br />
This comic explores the idea of iterating the process, going from meta-analyses to meta-meta-analyses (which actually exist, though not necessarily by that name) and hence to a meta-meta-analysis.<br />
<br />
Of the papers cited as meta-meta-analyses, at least A.R. Lemeshow (2005)<ref>A.R. Lemeshow et al, Searching one or two databases was insufficient for meta-analysis of observational studies., J. Clim. Epidemiol, 2005</ref> is real; the others presumably are too, but since their authors’ names are less distinctive, they are difficult to identify without full bibliographic data.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript}}<br />
<br />
<references /><br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>PLLhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1447:_Meta-Analysis&diff=791951447: Meta-Analysis2014-11-14T07:11:09Z<p>PLL: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1447<br />
| date = November 14, 2014<br />
| title = Meta-Analysis<br />
| image = meta-analysis.png<br />
| titletext = Life goal #29 is to get enough of them rejected that I can publish a comparative analysis of the rejection letters.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
<br />
In the scientific literature, meta-analyses are studies which compare multiple studies on a single topic, with the aim of giving a balanced overview of the known results.<br />
<br />
This comic explores the idea of iterating the process, going from meta-analyses to meta-meta-analyses (which actually exist, though not necessarily by that name) and hence to a meta-meta-analysis.<br />
<br />
Of the papers cited as meta-meta-analyses, at least A.R. Lemeshow (2005)<ref>A.R. Lemeshow et al, Searching one or two databases was insufficient for meta-analysis of observational studies., J. Clim. Epidemiol, 2005</ref> is real; the others presumably are too, but since their authors’ names are less distinctive, they are difficult to identify without full bibliographic data.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript}}<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>PLLhttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1447:_Meta-Analysis&diff=791931447: Meta-Analysis2014-11-14T07:06:06Z<p>PLL: /* Explanation */ Added initial explanation</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1447<br />
| date = November 14, 2014<br />
| title = Meta-Analysis<br />
| image = meta-analysis.png<br />
| titletext = Life goal #29 is to get enough of them rejected that I can publish a comparative analysis of the rejection letters.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
<br />
In the scientific literature, meta-analyses are studies which compare multiple studies on a single topic, with the aim of giving a balanced overview of the known results.<br />
<br />
This comic explores the idea of iterating the process, going from meta-analyses to meta-meta-analyses (which actually exist, as per the cited links) and hence to a meta-meta-analysis.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript}}<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>PLL