The application of network meta-analysis is becoming increasingly widespread, and for a successful implementation, it requires that the direct comparison result and the indirect comparison result should be consistent. Because of this, a proper detection of inconsistency is often a key issue in network meta-analysis as whether the results can be…

Systematic reviews are a time-consuming yet effective approach to understanding research trends. While researchers have investigated how to speed up the process of screening studies for potential inclusion, few have focused on to what extent we can use algorithms to extract data instead of human coders. In this study, we explore to what extent…

Meta-analyses of educational research findings frequently involve statistically dependent effect size estimates. Meta-analysts have often addressed dependence issues using ad hoc approaches that involve modifying the data to conform to the assumptions of models for independent effect size estimates, such as by aggregating estimates to obtain one…

The "LFK" index has been promoted as an improved method to detect bias in meta-analysis. Putatively, its performance does not depend on the number of studies in the meta-analysis. We conducted a simulation study, comparing the "LFK" index test to three standard tests for funnel plot asymmetry in settings with smaller or larger…

Adolescence is a critical developmental period that is marked by drastic changes in face recognition, which are reflected in patterns of bias (i.e., superior recognition for some individuals compared to others). Here, we evaluate how race is perceived during face recognition and whether adolescents exhibit an own-race bias (ORB). We conducted a…

Using R to conduct univariate meta-analyses is becoming common for publication. However, R can also conduct multivariate meta-analysis (MMA). However, newcomers to both R and MMA may find using R to conduct MMA daunting. Given that, R may not be easy for those unfamiliar with coding. Likewise, MMA is a topic of advanced statistics. Thus, it may be…

Meta-analyses examining dichotomous outcomes often include single-zero studies, where no events occur in intervention or control groups. These pose challenges, and several methods have been proposed to address them. A fixed continuity correction method has been shown to bias estimates, but it is frequently used because sometimes software (e.g.,…

With increasing canonicity, particularly within higher education assessment, the demonstrable achievement of goals, or the delivery of a program, or as one scholar wryly deemed it, the "manipulation of the independent variable" (Moncher and Prinz 1991, p. 247), are commonly referred to as implementation fidelity or fidelity of…

A common problem in the analysis of multiple data sources, including individual participant data meta-analysis (IPD-MA), is the misclassification of binary variables. Misclassification may lead to biased estimators of model parameters, even when the misclassification is entirely random. We aimed to develop statistical methods that facilitate…

In Bayesian random-effects meta-analysis, the use of weakly informative prior distributions is of particular benefit in cases where only a few studies are included, a situation often encountered in health technology assessment (HTA). Suggestions for empirical prior distributions are available in the literature but it is unknown whether these are…

Auburn University engaged in the reaffirmation process with SACSCOC (institutional accreditor) and received recommendations surrounding assessment practices. It was from these recommendations that the Office of Academic Assessment (OAA) was created in July 2015, providing dedicated assessment support to faculty responsible for educational…

The partial correlation coefficient (PCC) is used to quantify the linear relationship between two variables while taking into account/controlling for other variables. Researchers frequently synthesize PCCs in a meta-analysis, but two of the assumptions of the common equal-effect and random-effects meta-analysis model are by definition violated.…

Network meta-analysis (NMA) incorporates all available evidence into a general statistical framework for comparing multiple treatments. Standard NMAs make three major assumptions, namely homogeneity, similarity, and consistency, and violating these assumptions threatens an NMA's validity. In this article, we suggest a graphical approach to…

Component network meta-analysis (CNMA) compares treatments comprising multiple components and estimates the effects of individual components. For network meta-analysis, a standard network plot with nodes for treatments and edges for direct comparisons between treatments is drawn to visualize the evidence structure and the connections between…

The United States Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff declared critical thinking as a capability imperative for Force XXI. He directed Military Services to develop critical thinkers. There is limited evidence of success in terms of developing critical thinking abilities. Specifically, the U.S. Army lacks a single, generally accepted, codified…