Deck 27: Systematic Reviews of Research Evidence: Meta-Analysis, Metasynthesis, and Mixed Studies Review

Question 1

What is similar in the steps for both quantitative and qualitative integration?

A) Searching for a problem to solve
B) Searching the literature for primary studies
C) Reviewing the summary data
D) Developing a statistical model

Answer 1

Searching the literature for primary studies

Question 2

Evidence-based practice relies on rigorous integration of research evidence on a topic through systematic reviews. What is a systematic review?

A) Use of carefully developed sampling and data collection procedures that are spelled out during data collection
B) Use of methodically integrated data collection procedures that are spelled out during data collection in a protocol
C) Use of carefully developed sampling and data collection procedures that are spelled out in advanced in a protocol
D) Use of methodically integrated data collection procedures that are spelled out during data collection

Answer 2

Use of carefully developed sampling and data collection procedures that are spelled out in advanced in a protocol

Question 3

What is a criterion for using meta-analytic technique in a systematic review?

A) The evidence among the studies is highly conflicting with many variables.
B) The hypotheses vary in their predictions;both null and directional hypotheses are used.
C) The number of studies can be varied from few to many.
D) The independent variable and the dependent variable should be similar enough to merit integration.

Answer 3

The number of studies can be varied from few to many.

Question 4

What is a common scenario for meta- analysis in a nursing study?

A) Comparing the percentage of adolescents using hard drugs to the percentage using alcohol
B) Comparing two groups on a continuous outcome
C) Predicting health-related behavior from five different variables
D) Providing descriptions of caring for the chronically ill

Question 5

What is considered an advantage of a meta-analysis?

A) Use for broad research questions
B) Use for substantial inconsistency offindings
C) Subjectivity
D) Enhanced power

Question 6

What is the most common effect size index used in nursing?

A) Standardized deviation
B) Variance
C) Odds ratio
D) Sensitivity index

Question 7

How can heterogeneity be examined?

A) Inverse variance
B) Fixed effects model
C) Random effects model
D) Forest plot

Question 8

Statistical heterogeneity is an issue in meta-analysis and affects decisions about using a single true effect size. What is the name for this single true effect size?

A) Inverse variance
B) Fixed effects model
C) Random effects model
D) Forest plot

Question 9

Statistical heterogeneity is an issue in meta-analysis and affects decisions about a distribution of effects. What is the name for this distribution of effects?

A) Inverse variance
B) Fixed effects model
C) Random effects model
D) Forest plot

Question 10

Effects from individual studies are pooled to yield an estimate of the population effect size by calculating a weighted average of effects. What is often used as the weight?

A) Inverse variance
B) Fixed effects model
C) Random effects model
D) Forest plot

Question 11

What is the purpose of subgroup analyses?

A) Random heterogeneity
B) Nonrandom heterogeneity
C) Sensitivity analysis
D) Nonrelated effects

Question 12

Constructing a funnel plot will assist in determining how many studies with what type of results to reverse the conclusion of a significant finding?

A) Significant
B) Nonsignificant
C) Clinically significant
D) Clinically specific

Question 13

There is no consensus on whether systematic reviews should include the grey literature. What is grey literature?

A) Published in a nonpeer review journal
B) Published in a peer review journal
C) Published report
D) Unpublished report

Question 14

What is a publication bias?

A) Stems from over representation of significant findings in the published literature
B) Stems from under representation of significant findings in the published literature
C) Stems from over representation of nonsignificant findings in the published literature
D) Stems from under representation of nonsignificant findings in the published literature

Question 15

What is an issue with which metasynthesists have grappled?

A) Combining studies with findings from different research traditions.
B) Including some quantitative analysis of the demographics of the participants.
C) Omitting any study that has questionable quality.
D) Using studies with subjects form many different populations

Question 16

Paterson and colleagues' meta-study method integrates three components. What are the three components?

A) Metadata, metaeffect, metatheory
B) Metadata, metamethod, metaeffect
C) Metatheory, metamethod, metaeffect
D) Metadata, metamethod, metatheory

Question 17

What is a summary according to Sandelowski and Barroso?

A) Interpretative explanation of the data
B) Statistical explanation of the data
C) Descriptive synopsis of the data
D) Preliminary explanation of the data

Question 18

What is a synthesis according to Sandelowski and Barroso?

A) Interpretative explanation of the data
B) Statistical explanation of the data
C) Descriptive synopsis of the data
D) Preliminary explanation of the data

Question 19

A metasummary involves developing a list of abstracted findings from the primary studies and calculating what effect size?

A) Intensity
B) Frequency
C) Specific
D) Manifest

Question 20

A metasummary involves developing a list of abstracted findings from the primary studies. What is the percentage of studies that contain a given findings called?

A) Intensity
B) Frequency
C) Specific
D) Manifest