The paper has three major objectives. The first objective of the paper is to synthesize and define common categories of meta-analysis. The second objective is to propose a way to comprehend these common categories of meta-analysis through learning from their respective generic conceptual frameworks. The third objective is to point out which R packages to use to conduct a meta-analysis for each category presented in this paper. In practice, research novices may not know where to begin to learn a topic of meta-analysis for their research. Furthermore, they may not know how the topic of meta-analysis progresses from basics to advanced. This makes it almost next to impossible to use meta-analysis in their research. Certainly, this is problematic. Thus, this paper intends to help research novices overcome this problem. To achieve this, the three objectives mentioned at the beginning were implemented. To propose a synthesis of common categories of meta-analysis along with their respective definitions, a literature review was used as a method to synthesize and define the common categories of meta-analysis presented in this paper. Here, synthesizing meta-analysis categories in one figure would make it much easier for research novices to see the breadth of the subject in question. To propose an easy way to understand the concepts of meta-analysis through learning from their respective generic conceptual frameworks, personal experience was used as a method to make that offering. Here, it is encouraged that research novices should go beyond the definitions of categories of meta-analysis. They can try to frame their research by using example conceptual frameworks presented in the paper as a starting point. To point out which R packages to use with what categories of meta-analysis, a literature review was used as a method to identify those appropriate R packages available. Here, it would be useful for research novices to know which R packages they may need for their meta-analysis research. In summary, the contributions of the paper here would make research novices see and understand the common categories of meta-analysis from the bottom to the top of the pyramid, also offers an easy way to understand the common categories of meta-analysis by illustrating how to develop conceptual frameworks for the common categories of meta-analysis, and finally recommending the R packages to be used with the categories of meta-analysis. Ultimately, we hope that research novices will be able to use meta-analysis successfully in their research.