You lead a product-testing unit for a large pharmaceutical company. Your team has conducted forty trials of a new antibiotic but you are not sure if the results are conclusive enough to urge the company to start producing the new drug. A new data analyst has joined your team suggesting that meta-analysis might be a good idea, do you agree?
A) Yes, because the forty trials were identical and tested the same research question and therefore we can calculate an average significance for the new drug.
B) No, because the forty trials were identical and tested the same research question we cannot calculate an average effect size for the new drug.
C) Yes, because the forty trials were identical and tested the same research question and therefore we can calculate an average effect size for the new drug.
D) No, because the forty trials were identical and tested the same research question we cannot calculate an average significance for the new drug.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Meta-analysis can be useful in this case because the forty trials were identical and tested the same research question, allowing for the calculation of an average effect size for the new drug. This can provide a more precise estimate of the drug's effectiveness and help determine whether it is worth producing.

You Lead a Product-Testing Unit for a Large Pharmaceutical Company