what is meta-analysis

Meta-analysis is a statistical methodology that combines results from multiple studies to provide a quantitative summary of the overall effect. It is a systematic review of literature and statistical analysis used to synthesize the results of multiple independent studies. Meta-analysis can be used to investigate the consistency and magnitude of effects across different studies, to identify sources of variation, and to evaluate the overall strength of evidence. It is commonly used in medical and social sciences research to provide a more comprehensive understanding of a particular phenomenon.