Meta-analysis

Schulze (affiliated with the WestfÄlische Wilhelms-UniversitÄt MÜnster, Germany) begins with discussion of the growth of meta-analysis (a term coined in the 1970s) from its origins as a way to conduct literature reviews and synthesize empirical evidence in psychology and human resources, to its current applications in numerous fields. He discusses the basic steps of meta-analysis, the emergence of various approaches, and statistical methods and their evaluation. In the final section he offers a synopsis of statistical methods and Monte Carlo study results, recommendations for the application of metanalytic methods to a database of correlations, and discussion of the implications of using suboptimal methods. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)