Title: meta-analysis
Long Title: IUPAC Gold Book - meta-analysis
DOI: 10.1351/goldbook.14847
Status: current

Definition
Process of using statistical methods to combine the results of different studies. In the biomedical sciences, the systematic evaluation of a problem using information (commonly in the form of statistical tables and other data) from a number of independent studies.

Notes
1) A common application is the pooling of results from a number of small randomized controlled trials, none in itself large enough to demonstrate statistically significant differences, but capable of doing so in aggregate.
2) Meta-analysis has a qualitative component, i.e., application of predetermined quality criteria (e.g., completeness of data, absence of bias) and a quantitative component, i.e., integration of numerical information.
3) Meta-analysis includes overview and data pooling aspects, but implies more than either of these processes. Meta-analysis carries the risk of several biases reinforcing each other. Because of such problems inherent in the pooling of data from different studies, interpretation of the results of meta-analysis must be very cautious.

Source
- PAC, 2009, 81, 829. 'Glossary of terms used in ecotoxicology (IUPAC Recommendations 2009)' on page 914 (https://doi.org/10.1351/PAC-REC-08-07-09)

Other Outputs
- html: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/14847/html
- json: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/14847/json
- xml: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/14847/xml

Citation: Citation: 'meta-analysis' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. 10.1351/goldbook.14847
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Accessed: 2026-07-25T03:06:35+00:00